Growing Up
by Fivercon
Summary: In which Lucy's growing pains consist of taking on five solo missions to prove that she isn't just a useless pretty face. That, and to dispel the ridiculous notion of her being Natsu's damsel in distress. NatsuXLucy. COMPLETE
1. Lucy Takes on the World

_Dear Mom,_

_Little girls have to grow up right? Even pampered, spoiled princesses like me have to do it eventually._

_Alright, you and I both know I was only spoiled when you were around and hardly after. But even so, can you believe some people still call me a princess? I find it rather insulting._

_After all, I'm a grown up now. I'm a big girl in the real world._

_Thing is, Mom, I just didn't realize how tough the real world can actually be._

* * *

Chapter One: Lucy Takes on the World

Lucy Heartphilia was home. Finally.

Another mission completed, another unsuccessful job in terms of getting compensated. The depressed stellar spirit mage had once again returned from a mission with nothing to show for it save for a few cuts and bruises. Her teammates' knack for destroying just about anything in their wake left a fuming client who refused to pay outright.

And since Fairy Tail rules explicitly states that beating clientele to a pulp was strictly prohibited, Lucy, the calmest and most rational one in the team, managed to coax the more hotheaded members to just pack up and leave.

Her muscles cried out in agony as she dragged herself upstairs. With every step she took toward her 70,000 jewel apartment, she imagined lounging in the tub for a good three hours, making herself a nice cup of green tea and then sleeping in until noon the next day.

With one last tug, Lucy was up the stairs with her luggage feeling quite accomplished. As she reached for the only non-magical key in her possession, her eyes fell upon a sign on the door.

Feeling the tiredness drain out of her instantly, she grabbed the paper and quickly scanned the message. After a few moments of shock, the blonde seventeen year old promptly sank to the floor clutching the paper in her hand.

Lucy angrily crinkled the paper and threw it against the wooden railing of the staircase only to have it ricochet back and hit her square on the nose. The balled up piece of paper bounced on the floor and rolled to her feet.

Through the folds of the wrinkled paper, she could still see the words 'EVICTED IN ONE WEEK' stare at her mockingly.

Lucy grabbed her hair in frustration before yelling to fate, destiny, the gods or whatever made the world go round, so vehemently that her neighbors had to cover their ears.

"OF ALL THE MISSIONS TO COME BACK BROKE, IT JUST _HAD_ TO BE THIS ONE??!!"

* * *

The next day, Lucy woke up at eight, bounded out of bed, put on sweats and flew out the door. Now when Lucy Heartphilia went out in public without a fashionable outfit and perfect hairstyle, something was definitely wrong.

As she raced towards Fairy Tail, Lucy ran over the only plan she had in her mind to get her out of this mess: begging Natsu to go on a mission, getting one that paid at least 280,000 jewels to split between four people, completing said mission in less than a week and returning alive to pay off her rent.

Yes, that sounded about right. She only prayed that her teammates would keep the destruction of property to a minimum so that the client would pay them in full.

With this seemingly perfect and easy plan running through her mind, Lucy picked up her speed, excited to be on the road and earning those much needed jewels.

As she whipped around the corner however, she froze midstep. Even Lucy's financial crisis couldn't prevent her from gawking up at the advertisement of the new cover of Sorcerer Magazine.

There she was along with Natsu, Gray and Erza, gracing the glossy front cover. The caption on the bottom stated in big, bold letters:

FAIRY TAIL'S STRONGEST TEAM.

Lucy was, in a word, dumbfounded.

Dumbfounded because she'd forgotten all about the photoshoot about two months ago and dumbfounded because she looked so awesome.

Lucy simply stood there vainly admiring her voluptuous figure, clad in a mini skirt and tank top. With one of her ecliptic zodiac keys in her hand and a dramatic gust of wind blowing through her golden hair, Lucy admitted that she looked pretty damn amazing.

She would later vaguely recall that her teammates were there too and probably looking good as well.

"That Lucy Heartphilia sure is one hot babe!"

One of the only few sentences that could have snapped Lucy out of her narcissistic stupor was loudly exclaimed by one of two teenage boys oogling at the cover as well.

If it was at all possible, Lucy's ego inflated just a tad more.

"Yeah, it's just too bad she's so weak."

And just like that, her ego deflated until it was droopy and wrinkled like a popped balloon. Perhaps if she called out Taurus to wipe the floor with them, they would change their minds.

"You're right, I hear her stellar spirits do most of the work anyway. All she has to do is call them out."

Well, shit. She was a _stellar_ _spirit_ mage! What did they expect?

"She's lucky Gray and Erza are there too."

Well, double shit. It wasn't like they were her chaperones. She was fine just before they came along anyway.

"Either that or Natsu has to come to her rescue. No wonder they formed a team."

Now that was kind of true. Actually, all of it had some sort of truth to it.

Lucy felt the ground beneath her feet crumble sending her into a black oblivion where she was no longer the beautiful idol of adoring eyes, but a mere tiny shadow among great heroic statues of Natsu, Gray and Erza.

Dejected, Lucy turned away from the boys who continued their conversation to the new topic of what a goddess Erza was.

Half and hour later, Lucy mechanically opened the doors to the guild and dragged herself to the bar where she sat on the stool with her head slumped over the counter.

After a few minutes of not being acknowledged, Lucy cracked open a bleary eye looking for her confidante Mirajane whom she could always depend on listening to her troubles.

Unfortunately for Lucy, Mirajane had the day off so she couldn't even whine about her pathetic situation. Lucy felt her lower lip quiver as she thought of her hopeless case and once again buried her head into her arms with a muffled cry.

Clearly, this was a time to be grown up and for Lucy to face her problems with a rational mind but at the moment, it was just a bit more than she could handle.

"Yo, what's wrong?"

At the familiar voice, Lucy perked up and stared right into the grinning face of Natsu who immediately jumped back and did a double take.

"W-_what_?! Is there something on my face?" Lucy gasped and immediately shot a hand up to her cheek.

Natsu only came closer and scrutinized his teammate's new look. "Oh, it was nothing, Luce. It's just…I dunno, you look kinda weird today."

An angry blush lighted her cheeks as Lucy remembered she'd rush out this morning in her sweats and was probably looking very uncute at the moment.

Natsu, oblivious to the many woes written on Lucy's face, sat down next to her cheerily and gave her a hearty pat on the back. "I like that new look on you, Lucy. Definitely more my style."

Lucy indignantly shrugged him off before snapping, "What does 'more your style' mean, Mr. I-Know-So-Much-About-Fashion?"

Flashing a grin, Natsu pinched both sides of his pants and stretched them back and forth. "Comfy."

Lucy resisted the urge to slap her forehead (or rather his) when she remembered her dilemma. She jumped off her stool and grabbed Natsu by the shoulders.

"Natsu!!"

"Uh-huh??" The boy looked slightly abashed at his usual calm friend's extreme mood swings.

"You _have_ to help me!" Lucy cried dramatically as she shook him to emphasize her point.

Natsu cringed under Lucy's big, imploring brown eyes. If they started watering, he'd really start feeling uncomfortable. He hated to see girls cry. More importantly, he'd be at a loss to _do_ _anything_ after they'd start bawling and Lucy definitely wanted him to _do_ _something_.

"O-okay, I'll help you. What is it, Lucy?"

"Natsu, I'm about to be ev-" Before Lucy could finish her sentence, the scene of the two teenage boys flashed through her mind.

"_So weak…"_

"_Natsu has to come to her rescue…"_

Natsu had been preparing for the worst possible news ever when he saw Lucy take a deep breath, take her hands off his shoulders and straighten up. She never finished what she was going to say.

"Uhh…Lucy?"

The stellar spirit mage suddenly beamed at him and let out a short laugh. "Don't you worry about a thing, Natsu!" She bent forward and poked him hard on the chest. "I've got it all under control. Oww…"

An attempt at a smug, confident look on Lucy's face crumpled as she cradled the throbbing finger she had just jabbed at Natsu's toned chest. Lucy ignored Natsu's 'what the hell?' and swiftly turned around.

As she made her way towards the Request Board, Natsu cocked his head to one side wondering why females were so strange. What was it that Igneel had said? Hormones? Monthly tempers?

As the fire mage ran through a messy list of what Igneel had mentioned about the species of women ranging from a desire to be free of most bodily hair to hating the natural body essence to something called "fleer-ting" (?), he saw Lucy suddenly swipe the first five requests she saw.

The whole guild suddenly fixed their attention on the deranged girl as she rolled up the papers.

Natsu shook his head disbelievingly before leaping over a table and landing next to Lucy. He attempted to grab the roll of requests out of her hand.

"Are you crazy? You didn't even look at them!" He vainly tried to retrieve the requests as Lucy danced it out of his reach. "What are you going to do if they're all bounties of dangerous criminals? We can't finish that in a day, you know!"

"Ha!" Lucy pointed the rolled up requests at Natsu. "Who said anything about '_we'_? I'm finishing these _all by myself_ – _in under a week_!"

Her resounding declaration rang through the halls of the guild. After a few moments of stunned silence, the mages all promptly burst into laughter.

Turning red, yet still determined to stay true to her word, Lucy held her head high and stalked out of the guild.

As Lucy let the doors close behind her, she suddenly felt a jerk on her sweatshirt making her stumble backwards.

Natsu had followed after her with a bewildered expression on his face. His confused look made her feel slightly guilty. Even amidst the embarrassment in front of the guild, Lucy had noticed that Natsu hadn't laughed at her.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Natsu growled irritably. He was genuinely concerned that his teammate was losing her marbles and if he could prevent her from doing so, he was definitely going to try.

"I'm going solo for a bit, Natsu." Lucy said a little more kindly. She pried his fingers off her hood and walked a bit before turning around. "I'm gonna see how I can do on my own is all!"

"But you said you needed my help!!" Natsu shouted after the girl but she only waved and vanished around the corner.

Natsu decided then and there that it was insanity at root of the problems of women.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, this is my first Fairy Tail fic! It's been so long since I've been inspired to do another fandom- it's a little weird...Regardless, I'm excited to dabble in new settings and characters. Hope y'all keep up with me on this one and more importantly, enjoy! :)


	2. Show Your Hand

Chapter Two: Show Your Hand

* * *

Lucy felt like she was holding a seance.

After she had ran home, she shut the door, closed all the windows and turned off the lights. It wasn't her intention to set off a spooky vibe in her usual cheery, cozy apartment. What she wanted was the illusion of her not being home. Her friends should have no reason to casually come barging into her apartment like they usually did. Or so she vainly hoped.

Plopping down at her desk, Lucy carefully laid out the rolled up requests.

Then she immediately felt the need to bawl.

The idea had sounded so good in her head. There were three main points that had caused Lucy to throw caution to the wind and swipe the first five job requests she could reach: point one, to prove to the people of Magnolia that she wasn't just some pretty poster bimbo, two, to stick a finger to those cocky guildmates of hers and three, to show up Natsu for once because it wasn't his job to be her knight in shining armor and nobody should think otherwise.

As she eyed the requests however, the growing knot in her stomach started to twist uncomfortably.

What if she had to slay three-story monsters?

Kill elite ninjas?

Infiltrate a dark guild?!

Marry an old pervert??!!

Didn't she just see a screwed up request like that just the other day??

Lucy tentatively reached out her hands over the scrunched up papers and paused as if she were making a prayer over them. Then taking a deep breath and holding it, she unfurled the papers and spread them out before her.

Not a marriage, not a marriage, not a marriage...

Lucy slowly surveyed the first request: Teach and play with kids at the Magic Academy as a Teacher's Assistant

A huge sigh of relief. Hadn't there been a request like this at Fairy Tail before? Perhaps those kids just love Fairy Tail mages. No one could say a bunch of hooligans didn't know how to party, right?

Second request (another rush of adrenaline): Pet Retrieval-Dalmatian breed- Name: Honeybunchkins

Being a literary enthusiast and therefore a lover of words, Lucy couldn't help but cringe at the lack of taste in pet names. Actual ones, that is. On second thought, it was rather nauseating for the other variety as well.

Third request: Assist Elderly on Field Trip

Piece of cake. How many times did she help her aged loved ones at the Heartphilia Mansion? They didn't call her an 'Angel to the Elderly' for nothing!

Fourth request: Security Guard- Graveyard Shift- Raninbourg Museum- One Night Only

Lucy weighed her options and concluded that it was definitely doable. She wasn't such a pushover that she couldn't handle your normal thugs. She could even take them out in her stilletos if need be- stellar spirits free too!

Fifth request: Hostess...?

Lucy leaned back on the two hind legs of her chair contemplating this last request when she was suddenly very aware of a heat source radiating near her shoulder.

"What the hell does 'hostess' mean?"

Lucy screamed bloody murder and would have toppled over had Natsu not caught the back of her chair. Looking up into his boyish face breaking into laughter, Lucy grit her teeth and felt an overwhelming urge to let loose a flying fist into the dragonslayer's nose. Instead, Lucy decided against violence (and blood on her new carpet) and settled for untangling herself and stumbled awkwardly onto the floor.

Fuming, the blonde pushed herself up and stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to tower over her teammate/personal trespasser but only made it to his chin.

"Natsu! Didn't I just say you_ weren't_ my knight in shining armor?! Now, GET OUT!"

Natsu thought Lucy looked rather funny standing there pouting with flushed cheeks like a child denied of candy, but his laughter was overcome by his confusion. "What are you talking about? You didn't say _anything_!"

As a response, Lucy grabbed the beloved white dragon-scaled scarf around his neck and dragged him to the door.

Before he was shoved out, Natsu held onto the doorframe, attempting one last time to reason with the girl. "Wait, Lucy! We're a team! We always do jobs together don't we?!"

Lucy eased off for a bit as Natsu turned around and gave her his winning smile complete with shiny white canines and all. And although Lucy would never admit it, Natsu's charismatic grin made her want to accept his offer wholeheartedly. Pride and stubbornness checked her impulse however and she immediately proceeded to push him out the door and shut it.

She leaned against the door and massaged her temples while trying block out Natsu's echoing grumblings about getting kicked out for trying to do something nice.

Lucy sighed deeply. Although she seemed to have lucked out on her reckless pickings of requests, this was already shaping up the be a very long week.

* * *

A/N: Who thinks that the current FT arc is cool but very much lacking in more NaLu moments? The whole going-down-a-waterfall-together thing was classic and most excellent but just waved to the side as usual. Then again, I guess that's part of the charm of FT- not focusing too much on love (for now....)! That's why we have fanfics.

I will try to update every Friday so that it'll give me a schedule and no excuse to slack off. Oh, and thanks for all of your reviews guys- they keep me motivated!


	3. Rugrats and Fire

Chapter Three: Rugrats and Fire

* * *

"Ms. Heartphilia? No, no, too formal...Lucy? _Miss _Lucy...yeah, Miss Lucy!"

Fairy Tail's only stellar spirit mage was currently in front of her full length mirror adjusting her teacher's ensemble. Lucy grabbed a blue ribbon from her dresser and tied it in a neat bow around her neck.

Despite the crisp black a-line skirt, white blouse, and tailored vest making her look quite mature and sophisticated, Lucy's face fell. She hadn't worn these clothes since she left the Heartphilia mansion about eight months ago. She'd never plan on ever wearing it again.

Not wanting to drown in memories of the past, Lucy tried to focus her thoughts on her first job as a teacher's assistant in the Magic Academy. All of those bright, young eager faces were just waiting to meet their gentle, loving new instructor: Miss Lucy. It was all very picturesque in the girl's head as she imagined snack time during which she would cheerfully hand out cookies to each little cherub.

Lucy nodded with approval as she surveyed her outfit and pulled her hair into a sensible ponytail. Finally slipping on her high heel shoes, Lucy felt ready to face the entire world. She fully embodied the independent, hardworking single woman.

Unfortunately, this image quickly shattered when Lucy saw the clock ticking on her wall.

"Oh, shit! I'm going to be late!"

With that colorful exclamation, our favorite blonde dashed out of her apartment looking not so much like a young capable teacher anymore, but more like a student running late to class.

* * *

"And this, class, is Ms. Heartphilia."

"Please, tell them to call me Miss Lucy."

"Alright then, Miss Lucy. Class, say hello!"

Lucy might have fancied a proper 'hello' existing amidst the shouting and crying of the first grade rugrats, but that could have just been a last ditch effort by her optimism. The kids in front of her were certainly not cherubs like she had imagined...more like little spawns judging by the paper airplanes zooming about and their obvious disregard for their instructor.

The head teacher tapped her ruler ineffectively on her desk to get the class' attention. "Class, _please_!"

Apparently, the children needed a little tough loving and Lucy was more than happy to oblige. "KNOCK IT OFF YOU GUYS OR ELSE _NO _SNACK TIME!"

Like magic, the room was silent.

But not for long.

"Who's the new person with the big rack?"

Lucy reeled. What has become of the children in the world these days? When she was a child, there was certainly respect and fear in the teacher-student relationship. She was also fairly certain she did not know any other meaning to the word 'rack' besides it being an apparatus used to hold things on.

"Yeah, she's ugly! Where's Gazille?! We want Gazille!"

It was a one-two punch and Lucy was out for the count. Not only did they insult her looks but they also preferred that monstrosity of a mage to her?! Unbelievable.

"Oh yeah? What makes Gazille so great?" Lucy asked while failing to keep the jealousy out of her voice.

"He's the _best_!" One little boy pounced onto his desk and punched the air. "He showed me how to fight with metal rods!"

"Yeah! And he played darts with us too!"

Darts...damn that iron dragonslayer and his stupid hobby/fetish. Lucy wouldn't soon forget how he'd also played 'chuck kunais at the hostage' during Phantom and Fairy Tail's showdown.

"And he also french-braided my hair!"

"..."

Lucy tried to erase that disturbing image out of her head before reaching for her magical keys. Dangling it in front of the class like bait, she captured their attention at once. "I bet you Gazille can't do this!"

"What is it? Show us! Show us!" Kids are so predictable. "SHOW US NOW, UGLY!" Okay, predictable but their words still hit a sore spot. A mini riot began in the class as some of the rowdy kids started throwing wads of paper balls at Lucy. Soon joining the wads of paper were rulers, erasers and pen caps. The head teacher had run out of the room in fright minutes ago leaving Lucy to dodge the missiles by herself. A poorly-aimed but forceful object missed Lucy and hit the class' cage of pets in the back, shattering the glass. Immediately, two rabbits jumped out and sniffed the air. Lucy also thought she saw a lizard hurriedly crawl to safety on the wall.

"Hey! Quit it!" Lucy yelled as she shielded herself from the projectiles. She scooped up the rabbits, one in each hand and put them under an overturned basket on the teacher's desk.

After batting away more wads of paper, Lucy just barely managed to snatch a pencil headed for her face. Looking at its sharpened point, Lucy finally lost her temper. "Who threw this?! I could've lost an eye! That's it, NO SNACK TIME!"

Unfortunately for our aspiring teacher's assistant, being at a disadvantage with a mob of children hardly left room for any negotiation let alone an announcement of punishment. It was like adding oil to the fire.

"WHAT?! NO SNACK TIME?! GET HER!" The demon children rushed at Lucy with menacing school supplies in the air like pitchforks.

Lucy, hesitatant to call any combative stellar spirits out on children, was about to play her trump card when a misty shower suddenly rained down on the entire classroom. The fire alarms instantly began to blare reversing the situation right away. The kids, scared of perishing in a fire (despite the fact that the sprinklers were already activated), crowded around their teacher's assistant and begged for her to save their lives.

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief and herded them out of the door in single file. Once outside, the children huddled together miserably and some started crying. Seeing them blubber away made her feel less irritable but she'd let them suffer a bit before surprising them. Lucy knew it was petty to hold a grudge against mere first graders but felt that they deserved it for their disrespect and went about drying her damp hair.

"Weird..." Lucy mumbled to herself as she ran her fingers through her blonde locks. "I didn't see or smell any smoke..."

"M-Miss Lucy?" A little girl had come up to Lucy and tugged at her skirt. "We're sorry..."

And just like that, Lucy's heart melted into a big gooey mess. She bent down and patted the girl on the head. "That's a good girl. I accept the apology. And now for a surprise!"

The kids swarmed her once more as Lucy held up her keys. Choosing a silver one, she pointed it in the air and cried, "Open the door to the Canis Minor...Nicola!"

Out popped Plue and the children immediately tackled him while Lucy cleverly congratulated herself. After all, kids loved animals and who could resist the adorable Plue?

Thus, the rest of the day was spent gallavanting outside with the stellar spirit, being productive inside another classroom with art projects and then nap time. To treat the class for being so well behaved, she put down about 100 jewels to buy the entire class ice cream. It was only after that she realized she was even more broke than ever.

Nonetheless, Miss Lucy was now the official favorite teacher's assistant thereby usurping the previous TA, Gazille.

'Haha, I'm number one!' Lucy laughed inwardly as she waved to the last kid collected by his parents. As she went back to clean the classroom, she found it a complete mess and felt that maybe the victory wasn't too sweet after all. As she went about picking up litter off the floor, Lucy noticed something strange.

Around the teacher's desk where she had stood fending off their attacks, was a perfect circle of pencils, rulers, protractors and other miscellaneous school supplies. What was even more curious was that they were all slightly charred.

Lucy stooped down and examined several melted puddles of metal. "What is this?" Lucy picked up a cooled puddle in between her fingers and made out the handle of a pair of scissors.

"Weird..."

After cleaning up, Lucy settled down at the teacher's desk to check off the art projects. Page after page brought smiles (or the occasional shock at the lack of appropriateness) to the girl as she scanned over countless rainbows, puppies, flowers and people.

The last picture, however, made Lucy look up with a jolt and whip her head in all directions looking for a certain pink haired mage.

"That idiot!" Lucy huffed in a breath before marking those students who did their work.

The disregarded picture of a very poorly drawn caricature of Lucy, Happy and Natsu lay by her side as she successfully finished up her first job request.

* * *

A/N: Any guesses as to where Natsu could have been hiding?

Next time, Lucy faces mortal peril. Will she manage by herself or will help come in time? Find out in chapter three: See Spot Kill


	4. See Spot Kill

Chapter Four: See Spot Kill

* * *

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!"

Imagine you were in a hot air balloon flying around the Magnolia Crescent Mountains and was watching the violent (albeit funny) spectacle on the rocky terrain below. You would probably cringe, laugh and then feel guilty for finding amusement at Lucy's current predicament.

A resounding boom shook the earth followed by a small landslide sending a minute figure with a tuft of messy blonde hair rolling down the crumbling debris. Black and blue Lucy got back up on her feet after the tumble while unashamedly rubbing her sore bottom.

Even though she held her trusty black whip in her hand, wore sensible shoes for once, and had successfully avoided death so far with a mixture of determination and luck, the odds were still heavily stacked against her.

Lucy stood her ground against a gigantic beast that, despite it's monstrous size, was just a massively overgrown Dalmatian dog.

It seemed that "Honeybunchkins" had turned out to be one of the things Lucy had feared most: a three-story monster.

As Lucy craned her neck up to glare at the dog, she tried to figure out some way to make him calm down and take him back to his owner. The obvious choice was to summon her stellar spirits to beat the dog into submission but Lucy (foolishly or not), trying to prove a point, left her unused keys dangling around her waist.

"Hon-Honeybunchkins!!" Lucy shouted to the salivating Dalmatian before her. "SIT!!"

The dog bobbed its head around sniffing the air and then proceeded to scratch it's ear.

"I SAID _SIT_, HONEYBUNCHKINS!!!" Lucy yelled angrily and snapped her whip beside her with a loud crack. The dog's ears immediately perked up and eyed Lucy.

"Go-good, boy. Easy now..." Not daring to break eye contact with the humongous mutt lest it should result in her being ripped into pieces, Lucy tentatively reached out a hand as it lowered it's massive nose toward her. Being so absorbed in trying to calm Honeybunchkins down, Lucy didn't realize a drop of drool had slowly trickled from his mouth right over her head until it was too late.

Lucy was doused from head to toe in dog drool.

"AAAGGHHHH!! Oh, gross, _groooss_!!" The dog jumped back a bit at her flailing about but decided it liked her. She smelled good and that was enough for him.

And so, Honeybunchkins sat wagging his huge tail enthusiastically producing shockwaves. Poor Lucy immediately lost her balance in the puddle of slime.

"NO, NO WAIT!" Lucy cried as she struggled to back away from the dog as it prepared itself to come leaping into the arms of a new friend.

As Lucy waited for the inevitable moment of death by dog, the only thing she could think of was how she'd gone from such a normal morning to such a horrible afternoon...

---

"I saw him yesterday. Started bragging about a new technique called a heat shield."

"A heat shield? That sounds like it'd come in handy."

"I don't know why he'd even bother doing it." Gray shrugged as he took another beer from Mirajane. "Usually he'd just go on a rampage and shoot fire all over the place. The heat shield sounds like way too much trouble for that loudmouthed idi-" The ice mage paused mid-sentence and shot out a hand. Enclosed in his fist was a lumpy silvery piece of metal.

"What's the big idea, Lucy?" Gray asked his teammate as she came up to the bar smiling.

"Just wanted to test your reflexes."

Gray scoffed but looked quite smug. "My reflexes are always in fine working order. Save your testing for Natsu."

"So what is this, Lucy?" Mirajane asked as she picked up the scrap of metal Lucy had thrown. "Gift from Gazille?"

Lucy and Gray sweatdropped at Mirajane's constant interest in Fairy Tail pairings. "Uh, hardly. I found this in the classroom I was teaching in at the Magic Academy. I think it had been a pair of scissors."

To Lucy's surprise, Gray and Mirajane gave a quick knowing look to each other before acting nonchalant. Her surprise suddenly changed into suspicion.

"Where's Natsu by the way?"

"Dunno. Haven't seen him in a week." Gray said as he dropped a handful of flower shaped ice cubes into his empty beer keg.

"Didn't you just say you 'saw the loudmouthed idiot yesterday'?" Lucy probed making Gray sweat.

"Uhh...I meant...Leon." Gray said slowly as he started to unravel. Playing 20 questions with a girl really wasn't his forte.

"Leon can make heat shields, can he?"

That was it for Gray. He could take up a brawl with just about anybody but getting cornered by Lucy was just rather uncomfortable. "'Bye Lucy, Mira, catch you guys later." Then Gray zipped out of the guild before Lucy could even congratulate herself on making him prickle.

Lucy sighed and turned back to Mirajane. "You know, I appreciate Natsu's help but I really can do this all on my own."

"I know you can, Lucy." said Mirajane kindly. She knew Lucy was a tough cookie. It was just that Lucy was such a precious kid in the guild that no one really wanted to see her get hurt. "Natsu's just worried about you."

Lucy slightly blushed but crossed her arms indignantly. "But I don't need him to worry about me! I am not a porcelain doll and I hate people thinking of me that way."

"Well, besides you being cute as a button," Mirajane stooped down to Lucy's level and leaned her pretty face against her hands. "All of us at Fairy Tail worry about each other so naturally we'd worry about you."

Lucy could understand that. She's worried plenty of times for her family at the guild. It was just hard for Lucy to separate the lines between worrying for a capable teammate and babying the pretty blonde girl in the dress.

"Thanks." Lucy smiled at Mirajane before getting up. The ex S-class mage was like an older sister to her and always knew what to say to make her feel better. "Well, I'm off to pay my landlord. The sooner I get him some money, the better!" With that hopeful thought, Lucy was off, crossing her fingers that her landlord might even be generous enough to give her an extension before the eviction.

"Alright. Take care."

Mirajane shook her head fondly at the younger girl as she cleared the glasses off the bar. She remembered what it was like to be off on her first solo mission: naive, determined and completely clueless about love.

---

Wasn't there some kind of idea out there about the scenes of your life flashing before you the moment you die?

The thought raced through Lucy's mind as Honeybunchkins pounded toward her.

Apparently that idea didn't existed...at least not in the way Lucy had hoped. Instead of sentimental memories, Lucy could only recall the conversation that morning. It was infuriating to think that she couldn't even remember her childhood let alone yesterday. All she could think about was the day's relatively mundane morning.

How boring was that? No loving memories of her mother, no exciting adventures with her team where she demonstrated her skills, nothing.

Just an everyday conversation with Gray and Mirajane concerning Natsu.

Well, it could be worse. Lucy accepted her send off to the next life.

Lucy shut her eyes as her reflexes kicked in and was ready to welcome whatever sight greeted her when she opened them again. Whether they be flowery meadows or fire and brimstone, she was ready.

So it was a complete shock to see neither of these scenes but rather the grinning face of Natsu Dragonil.

"Natsu?!" Lucy gasped as they both sailed through the air missing the huge forepaw of the dog.

"Yo, Luce." Natsu held onto her tighter as he scaled a particularly steep rocky ledge. "Do you know you're slimy as hell?"

Unbelievable. The last thing Lucy wanted to say to him was why yes, she was incredibly slimy at the moment. Instead, Lucy just thanked her stars that her extremely stubborn, happy-go-lucky teammate had saved her life.

Hold everything. Natsu had saved her life. Again. He had also proved for the umpteenth time that she was a damsel in distress.

Well, she'd have to fix that pronto.

"No, no Natsu! This is all wrong, put me down! I've got to finish this myself!"

"Sure." Natsu willingly obliged as Lucy literally slid out of his arms like melted butter. "Is that dog drool?"

"Yes, Natsu. It is." Lucy stated grimly as she tried to find a good handle on her slippery whip and took a few steps forward. "Stand back and watch."

Natsu folded his arms and looked at the dog searching about for his missing prey...friend. "Watch you do what? Kill that thing with your whip?"

"No, I'm going to bring him back to his owner. _Alive_!" Lucy added quickly as Natsu created a fireball in his hand. "This is _my _job, you sit still."

Natsu extinguished his fire and slumped down onto the ground where he watched his teammate lazily. "Alright, but hurry up! I'm hungry."

Lucy wiped her hand on a nearby shrub and cringed before putting two fingers in her mouth. Then she blew as hard as she could emitting a loud, shrill whistle. Immediately, Honeybunchkins located her and ran towards the two mages up on the hill. As he neared, Lucy readied her whip and when the dog was in range- CRACK! Lucy's whip lashed out and smacked the slobbering dog right on the nose. He let out an echoing wail as the sting radiated through his wet nose.

"Honeybunchkins! I didn't want to have to do that but you left me no choice!" Lucy yelled feeling much more confident being on eye level with the dog. "You can't kill the people you like! Do you understand?"

The dog whimpered in shame and pawed it's nose. Natsu laughed watching the whole exchange and thought of what Igneel had told him about 'whipped men'. They must resemble this dog.

"Now, are you ready to go home?" Honeybunchkins nodded. "Good boy!" Lucy patted his head. Perhaps he was just like any other dog. Just a hundred times bigger.

"Good job, Lucy." Natsu gave her a thumbs up and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Thanks. I guess this fella isn't so bad after all." Lucy put her hands on her hips and looked at the great animal. "I'll ask your owner to give you a treat when we get home okay?" Hearing the word treat made Honeybunchkin's ears perk up and his tongue started wagging again. Without warning, his tongue shot out and lovingly licked the stellar spirit mage knocking her back into one surprised dragonslayer.

The impact sent them both sprawling on the ground with Lucy on top of Natsu. Both were drenched with the dog's slobber.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't heat-dry slimy clothes."

"Ahhh..."

* * *

A/N: I'm pretty sure you can dry those clothes, Natsu. But hey, what fun would it be without shopping with Lucy, eh?

On a different note, seems like the Oracion Seis arc is ending! Can't wait for some new stuff and also the upcoming FT anime!!! :D

Next time, Lucy prepares herself for a little chat with Natsu. What will they talk about and will Natsu finally understand Lucy's situation? Find out in chapter five: It's a Mars and Venus Thing


	5. It's a Mars and Venus Thing

Chapter Five: It's a Mars and Venus Thing

* * *

Later that night, Lucy opened the door to her hotel room and flopped onto the bed utterly exhausted. Natsu trailed in after her, finishing a fire kebab and tossing the empty stick into the trash can.

"Thanks for the clothes, Luce. And for the meal," Natsu said as Lucy peeled herself off the bed and managed to sit upright. As she gave Natsu a dead-panned look, Lucy had to admit she did a pretty good job at picking out clothes for the boy. Being a fashion expert was one thing, shopping with Natsu and getting him to try on clothes was another thing entirely.

The fire dragonslayer stood surveying the hotel room clad in a dark green shirt, black pants, boots and a navy blue belt. He curiously examined a particularly fancy crystal lamp before noticing her quizzical stare. "What's up?"

The blonde shook her head as she realized she was staring at Natsu lost in thought. That was a first seeing as how the boy usually didn't cause people to ponder absentmindedly. "No-nothing. Now listen here, Natsu. I've got to talk to you."

"Okay, shoot," Natsu said as he plopped down beside her on the bed. "Ooh, nice." He leaned back against the pillows by the headboard obviously missing Lucy's attempt at an important conversation.

"This is serious!" Lucy groaned and got off the bed while slightly tripping over her new dress. She stood before him with her hands on her hips, determined to make him understand.

"I know you've been following me on these jobs, Natsu!"

"Yeah, and?" He was clearly not the perceptive type. Anyone could have guessed what the girl was trying to say by her accusing tone and exasperated look.

"I told you I wanted to go solo!" Lucy explained, frustrated that her teammate could be so stubborn. "_Solo_."

"You _are _doing this solo. I'm just here for back up."

"That's not going solo!"

Irritated, Natsu got on his feet too. "Look, I just don't want you to get hurt. You're my teammate so I've gotta look out for ya." He didn't see what was so hard to understand. They always went on missions together and she'd never complained before.

"Do you think I want to get scraped up out there? Of course not, I can take care of myself!" Lucy wrung her hands as she tried to find the best way to explain to the boy.

Natsu let out a huff and ran a hand through his rosy hair. "What is the big deal, Lucy? We work together and I know you're not as strong as the others-"

"I _knew _it!" Natsu slightly shrunk as Lucy towered over him. Her hazel eyes seemed to blaze clear a path wherever they looked and Natsu wished she'd glare at the lampshade instead. "Everyone thinks I can't take care of myself. That's why I'm doing all of these jobs alone!"

"Bu-"

"No buts!" Lucy shouted. "I've made up my mind so please, JUST LEAVE ME _ALONE_!"

There was a moment of silence as the two friends stood staring at each other. It seemed to Lucy as though time had momentarily stopped and an expanse grew between them, slowly pushing them apart.

It was Natsu who broke the silence first. "Fine."

Lucy couldn't help but feel the awkwardness in the air as he walked past her towards the window and slid it open. Lucy turned around to see him put one foot on the ledge preparing to leap into the cold night.

Feeling a pang of regret for yelling at him, Lucy slowly reached out a hand. "Natsu, I-"

He turned around and gave her a stern look. Lucy was always used to seeing his usual grinning, boyish face so when he got serious, it was always disconcerting. "Do whatever you feel like doing, Lucy."

Then with a leap, he was gone. Lucy ran to the window and felt a lump in her throat as she looked into the darkness seeing nothing but the neighboring building and the river three stories below.

How could he just leave like that? She did say 'please' to that thickheaded mage. How else was she suppose to prove herself with him refusing to let her do this alone?

Gritting her teeth in anger, Lucy cupped her hands and yelled into the night, hoping the words will reach his extra perceptive hearing. "WELL, GOOD RIDDANCE TO YA!!!"

Lucy's voice echoed into the night just as she had hoped, but it only made her feel ten times worse than before. She slammed the window shut and threw herself onto the bed. A few minutes later, she was surprised to find tears on her face.

"And now he's making me cry? What is this?" She mumbled angrily and wiped away the tears.

Despite her hardest effort not to, Lucy Heartphilia cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

A/N: Uhh, this _is _supposed to be primarily a _humor _fic, right??? Hahaha! This chapter is a little short because I chopped it from the original one- it was getting really long! No worries though, this means I will be updating in a few days so keep an eye out for the next chapter. Oh yes, I'm not great at describing guys' outfits so imagine Natsu's new clothes like the one he's wearing now in the latest manga chapters ;)

In chapter six, we find out what happened to Natsu after the argument. How did he feel? What did he do? And more importantly, can Lucy handle her next job without his help?

Find out in the upcoming chapter: Hello Again, My Dear


	6. Hello Again, My Dear

Chapter Six: Hello Again, My Dear

* * *

Natsu sat at the Fairy Tail bar sulking.

"Well, it's a surprise not seeing you pick fights and destroying furniture around here, Natsu." Mirajane teased as she searched for a bottle of firewhiskey to cheer up the dragonslayer.

Natsu's intelligent reply: "Eeaaahh."

"What's wrong? Did you eat some of that Etherion again?"

"No." Natsu gulped down the firewhiskey placed before him. "Hey, you're pretty close to Lucy, right?"

The girl stopped wiping the counter and looked at him before smiling slyly. "Ah, so it's Lucy is it?"

"Yeah."

"Lover's quarrel?"

Natsu gave Mirajane a puzzled look. "What's that?"

"Nevermind. Go on."

Natsu downed his refill. "That's the thing. I don't know what's going on with her. She's been acting so moody lately, it's ridiculous. One minute she's yelling, the next, she's crying. I can't keep up."

Mirajane stopped working to listen intently to Natsu's diagnosis of Lucy's strange behavior. "Wait, you made her cry?"

"Not on purpose!" Natsu defended himself quickly. "She kept telling me to leave her alone so I did. After I'd left, I heard Lucy crying and that's never good. Well, then I felt guilty and came back to check on her. By the time I got there, she was asleep."

"Poor thing."

"But that's not even the real problem!"

"Oh?"

"I'm kinda worried about what happened after. Because I...well..." Natsu paused guiltily before continuing. Mirajane had to suppress a smile seeing how moody her own little Natsu was when worrying about his teammate.

"Go on, Natsu."

"I know she told me to mind my own business but I still kinda followed her on her next job."

"Spying? That doesn't sound like you at all," Mirajane laughed as Natsu pouted; he was clearly irritated to have had to stoop to such a sneaky, backhanded technique just to be there for his friend.

"It wasn't spying exactly. I wasn't there. I just saw what happened while I stayed a little ways off."

"How'd you do that?" Mirajane asked, getting more interested in the tale as the dragonslayer continued.

"I had Happy follow her. He followed her into this shop. She came in with an old man."

"That's strange...What was this shop like?"

Natsu scratched his head irritably finding the details rather unimportant to his story. "Old. Small. The shop was called Madame Reisa's."

"Madam Reisa's what?"

"Dunno. That was it. It looked creepy."

Mirajane pondered this strange scene in her head. What was Lucy doing there with an old man? Being a personal shopper for an old man's taste in oddities?

Natsu resumed his story after consuming his third glass of firewhiskey. From the look of the effects of the liquor, it seemed he was having a hard time recalling the details so Mirajane took away the bottle.

"I haz Zappy- _Happy- _go in there firrrsss. Zaffy leff a lacriyma crystal in there so I 'ould seez whaz happenin' with Lushiii."

"Natsu! Don't pass out!" Mirajane pleaded as Natsu swayed on his stool like a palm tree in the breeze. "Here, drink up!" She quickly shoved a glass full of who-knew-what into his hand as a neutralizer to the alcohol.

It was rather pathetic for the tough Salamander to be so easily done in by drinking. Almost as pathetic as his motion-sickness.

He barely managed to gulp down a few mouthfuls of the stuff before sprawling out on the counter, unable to continue his story. Mirajane almost wept at having her appetite whetted only to be denied the feast of what Lucy's mysterious job was all about.

The fire dragonslayer rested his head on his arm and managed to mutter an 'Ew' at what he had just consumed.

Strangely enough, his half intoxicated state induced a fretful memory/dream sequence of what he had seen yesterday evening. It was during then that Lucy had entered the shop of Madame Reisa's...

---

The dragonslayer contemptuously eyed the lacriyma crystal on the other side of the room.

Natsu was not the wait quietly type. He was obviously more the beat your chest, holler at the top of your lungs, spew fire in your face kind of guy. That's why he hated the fact that he had to resort to snooping about just to keep an eye out for that troublesome Lucy.

Technically, no one told him he _had _to. It was just wired in him. Sort of like some sense of dragonslayer justice instilled in him by Igneel.

Or so Natsu would like to dream.

But Lucy just inconveniently threw a wrench into his heroic scheme of things with her 'LEAVE ME ALONE' so he'd have to approach this the wussy way. That darn Lucy. Sometimes she could just be so...so...

"Mehhhh!" Natsu immaturely stuck out a fiery tongue at the lacriyma ball as if it resembled the blonde girl. Why in the world should he care what she did? He was hungry and he wanted some food. Asap.

So, he crossed the room in one big stride and was about to fly out the door to the nearest food stand when the lacriyma ball emitted static.

In a few seconds, a picture materialized and the ball quickly found itself smothered in Natsu's eager hands.

"Ah-hah! It's about time," Natsu huffed forgetting entirely about his growling stomach.

Gazing into the crystal, Natsu saw Lucy helping an elderly man into the dark shop and pass through a curtain of beads. Happy had deposited the twin lacriyma crystal at the perfect position in the shop, everything and everyone could be seen in the tiny room.

"Watch your step, sir," Lucy said politely as she held the curtain aside for the frail old man to pass through.

"Thank you my dear, and I must tell you how much I appreciate you bringing me all the way here." He managed a wide, toothless smile.

Lucy shook her head and gently guided his arm to sit down at the round table. "I'm just doing my job. Although I have to admit, I initially had no idea the Field Trip you advertised about was a...um...spiritual one." The girl took her seat next to the man, looking around the strange shop.

"What time was our appointment at, Lucy?"

"Nine o'clock, sir. We're right on time."

"Good, good...I have a sure feeling in these knobbly old bones of mine this time." He tapped his knees with a wrinkly hand.

Natsu saw Lucy gave him a rather sad smile.

Suddenly, the door to the back room and out came a middle aged lady who looked anything but the stereotypical image of a psychic. Even Natsu knew something about those mystic ladies in headwraps, shawls and wearing beads all over there bodies...yet this one wore a professional business suit. Her glossy, dark hair was pulled back in a tight, no-nonsense knot.

If anything, she looked more like a lawyer that was completely in the wrong part of town let alone profession.

"I'm Madame Reisa and you are Mr. Brighams are you not?" She asked sternly as if quizzing the old man on his citizenship test.

"Yes, I am."

"And who are you?" She addressed Lucy with a wave of her hand. "He never mentioned anything about a granddaughter."

"No, no. I'm his assistant for the day. I'm here on a job as a mage from Fairy Tail," Lucy replied in all honesty but could not wipe away the skeptical look on Madame Reisa's face.

"Well, at least you got him here on time despite your guild's lack of order and reputation for idiocy," Madame Reisa sniffed before putting a candle in the middle of the table.

Lucy and Natsu both bristled at the woman's snootiness. The dragonslayer wished the lacriyma crystals served as a portal so he could go to the shop in an instant and give her a piece of his mind or, better yet, a fiery fist to that upturned nose.

"Let's get started then." Madame Reisa clapped once and the lights in the shop immediately went out. The only flickering light source was the candle in the middle of the table.

"So...this really is a seance, huh?" Lucy mumbled to no one in particular as she clasped hands with the old gentleman and the psychic.

"Quiet girl!" Madame Reisa barked in a not-so mystical tone.

"Sorry."

"Now then, Mr. Brighams, who do you wish to contact this evening?"

"My wife, Celia...My darling, Celia." His voice trembled at the sound of his late wife's name. Lucy gave his hand a slight squeeze.

"Alright then. Everyone close your eyes and _no peeking_!" Madame Reisa snapped at Lucy.

"Okay, okay! I know how a seance works!"

"I shall now contact Celia Brighams." Madame Reisa closed her eyes and slightly bowed her head. Then she began moaning softly. "Celia Brighams! Celia Brighams! Your husband Nathaniel Brighams calls for youuuuu..."

Natsu couldn't help but burst out laughing. The woman (aside from her sensible attire) was just another quack psychic. The whole thing was just silly! There were no such things as ghosts. Everyone knew that.

Now _dragons_, those babies are real.

"Celia...Celia...Nathaniel is calling for you!"

This went on for a good ten minutes before Natsu's hunger called again. This time the dragonslayer was willing to oblige seeing as how there was no spectral ghost, spooky voice or any indication of a supernatural being appearing anytime soon.

As Natsu was about to leave however, the candle in the shop went out. Before his eyes, a dim white light appeared in the air and replaced the golden glow of the candle's flame.

"What the-?" Natsu picked up the lacriyma crystal again and held it into the light for a better view.

"What is this pale light, Madame Reisa?" The man asked. "Even though my eyes are closed, I can tell it's getting brighter out there. Did you turn the lights on?"

But Madame Reisa didn't answer. She only sat as still as a statue before crying out softly. "Nathaniel, I'm here..."

Natsu thought 'bullshit!' immediately but decided to stay and watch. He was glad to see that Lucy too looked like she didn't buy one bit of this showy performance.

"Celia? My dear, is that you?" The old man cried out to what he believed was his deceased wife calling from beyond the grave.

"Yes, Nathaniel. I'm here...what did you call me for?"

"Wait!" The old man said abruptly. "Prove to me that you're Celia. A year before you passed away...you...you painted a picture for me. Please...please tell me what it was. If you're really my Celia..."

Apparently, the old man wasn't too gullible. They all wanted evidence from this psychic. Natsu eagerly prepared himself for the revelation of the fraud.

But the psychic showed no hesitation:

"The painting you speak of was of our children, my dear." The old man stifled a sob. "Our children: Marisa and Andrew...Marisa had those beautiful golden curls while Andrew had your dark eyes. They were our darlings...Don't you remember, Nathaniel?"

The room went silent. Even Natsu didn't say a word.

Then a cry resounded in the room. "Oh, Celia! Celia! It _is_ you...it _is_ you!" The man cried as tears streamed down his weary lined face. The muffled sobs filled the room and Natsu started to feel uncomfortable knowing he was witnessing a scene that was intended to be very private.

But suddenly, the trance was broken. The white light was extinguished leaving the room pitch black.

"Hey! I can't see anything!!" Natsu yelled. He shook the lacriyma crystal as if it was responsible. He then heard a loud clap and the lights in the room went back on.

Lucy had broken the circle and stood up. She slammed her hands down on the table and glared at Madame Reisa.

"Girl! What are you doing? You have severed the communication line with the spirit world!"

Lucy scoffed as she picked up the candle and broke it in two. "You're a fraud!" Out of the seemingly waxen candle fell a couple of clear, white crystals. "Sir, she's tricking you! That white light was only produced by these crystals. I've seen them before. Once they're exposed to darkness long enough, they begin to light up."

As a demonstration, Lucy took one and cupped it in her hands. Sure enough, after a few moments, it began to emit a ghostly light. Lucy set it on the table and clapped once, turning off the lights in the room putting the entire focus on the lit crystal. It was exactly as before.

"Madame Reisa. Your ghost has returned," Lucy mocked the woman making the latter turn a deep shade of purple.

"How dare you! No one said that was the ghost. Besides you had your eyes closed! It is merely a light to guide the souls to the circle!"

The old man looked from one to the other. "...And how about the painting, Lucy? How would you explain that?"

"Sir, where is the painting now?" Lucy asked the old man. His face suddenly paled as he remembered.

"Yes, yes...but it's gone now. No one would...they can't have..." He trailed off before rubbing his eyes with a shaking hand.

Lucy reached into her bag and pulled out a folder. Inside was a photograph of Loki shedding light over a grave indicating a spot where it looked like it was recently dug up.

"N-no, how could this be?" The old man whispered as he slowly pulled the photograph toward him.

"You buried it with her, didn't you?"

"LIES!" Madame Reisa stood up and pointed a finger at Lucy. "These accusations are faulty! You have no proof! I am a renowned psychic! I am not a fraud like those other people who claim to have the gift!"

"Here's your proof," the old man said as he lifted up another photograph depicting the psychic and two other assistants digging up the grave for any sort of evidence. "She was there."

Madame Reisa shrieked loudly and lunged for the photograph but Lucy caught her clawing hands.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, madam." The old man stood up slowly but resolutely. His figure was full of dignity and pity for the woman yet also immense remorse for believing her. "Please do not disgrace yourself further in deceit."

He then turned to Lucy. "My dear, I should have listened to you in the first place. I am just a senile old fool caught up in the you for allowing me to see the truth."

With that, the old man left the shop.

"You little bitch," the woman seethed as she broke out of Lucy's grasp. Her former proper image shattered, she didn't care how improperly she spoke. "How the hell did you know?"

"The day I accepted Mr. Brighams' request was the day he submitted it to our guild and made an appointment with you. When I met him, he told me he'd set up a meeting with you two days ago. I knew you'd be searching for information for his wife and followed you ever since."

"What?!"

"I can't stand people like you," Lucy said as she turned around to leave the shop as well. "Making a living out of lies. It's disgusting."

"You are a heartless girl!" Madame Reisa spat. Lucy stopped, the insult ringing in her ears. "Can't you give an old man his peace?!"

So far having kept her cool, Lucy suddenly lost it and shook with anger. "The peace you talk about would be an insult to the memory of his wife! How can you do this to these people?!"

Natsu has seen Lucy enraged plenty of times and has heard her yell almost everyday at the absurdness of Fairy Tail, but there was something different this time.

Something akin to a great sadness that had been carefully hidden.

"Leave these people alone!" Lucy cried as she shoved the stacks of crystal balls on the shelves. One after another fell and shattered on floor. "It's hard enough to lose someone you care about! Their loved ones are gone so just let them be!"

As if arrested by those words, the psychic stood still amidst the pieces of broken glass simply watching Lucy wreck havoc in her shop.

"Nothing, _nothing _you do will make them come back."

Lucy clenched her fist before finally pushing the lacriyma crystal from the shelf. As it fell to the floor, Natsu caught a glimpse of Lucy's tear-stained face before she turned away and the ball splintered into irreparable pieces.

_Dear Mom,_

_After you were gone, there was this little girl. She was always so sad and lonely. She was forced to live her life certain way._

_There were no kids her age to play with, no pets for comfort, nothing that wasn't necessary to the future of an heiress._

_Imagination was frowned upon and fairy tale books were burned._

_But the girl managed to save a few and hid them amongst other books in the library. The books gave her a way out. They were the keys to the outside world beyond. They were like the keys to the stellar spirits of the other world, just like you said._

_She wanted to break free of her father's expectations and judgment. They did not know her. They did not own her. They did not make her who she was._

_Her life was destined to change and she was the one who could start that change._

_Become a new, different girl. A girl who wasn't sad, wasn't lonely and could live a free life._

_Mom, I have become a different girl. I have been able to do almost everything I wanted. I have become a happy young woman like you wanted me to be._

_But sometimes, I still feel the shadow of that little girl following me around._

_She is trying so hard to be brave, but once in a while, she cries._

_And I hear her telling me over and over again so that I become sick:_

_She's still so lost without you._

* * *

A/N: Angst, anyone?

Oh and bear with me on the lacriyma crystal stuff- I like to think you can use them that way :)

Lucy is a bit more complex than what everyone sees. Now that Natsu has seen another side to Lucy, what will he do? How is Lucy coping with the stress along with her jobs? Careful and crafty decisions need to be made in chapter seven: Lucy versus the Raninbourg Thief.


	7. Lucy versus the Raninbourg Thief

Chapter Seven: Lucy versus the Raninbourg Thief

* * *

A pair of shoes stared at Lucy.

Lucy stared back and inevitably found herself smushed against the window of the store, longing, aching to buy the pair of sparkly red slingbacks.

"Sooo pretty..."

But after seeing the shopkeeper inside give her a cold look, Lucy peeled herself from the glass and straightened herself. She was a lady for goodness' sake. She shouldn't be drooling while window shopping. It was quite unbecoming of a young woman of seventeen.

No matter how hard her week has been, she didn't need therapeutic shopping to relieve her stress. Or at least not until her rent was paid.

Besides, fancy shoes wouldn't help her in the upcoming fourth mission set to start at ten o'clock that night.

* * *

Six hours later found Lucy walking toward the Raninbourg Museum wearing a black short-sleeved turtleneck and matching mini-skirt. Completing her double-oh-seven look was a pair of black boots. With her whip swinging against her side and gloves adorning her hands, Lucy looked, in every way, like the potential thief that would want to rob the museum.

"Tch, this sucks," Lucy muttered as she shivered. Of all the nights to be guarding a building full of antiques, it had to be a cold one in which she had unwisely chosen to wear a skirt.

"Hey, babe." Blame it on the fact that she was the only soul currently on the street or that Lucy is (let's face it) rather vain, the girl stopped and turned around.

"If you're gonna do something illegal, why not just hang with us?" A shady looking man called from across the street. His friend winked at Lucy when she shuddered. "We might be bad boys but we know how to have fun."

"I'm not interested in boys at the moment," Lucy snapped, not feeling up to dealing with horny bums on the street.

"Oh, but honey we're not boys, we're _men_!"

"Sorry, I think you misunderstood. I'm not interested in _men _either." Their mouths dropped. "You get my drift?"

Being so shocked that a female that attractive could be anything but straight, the men decided to leave the girl alone.

* * *

Once Lucy made it to the museum, she found her guard station and sat down on the stool, she prepared herself to be alert should anything happen.

Unfortunately, her vigilance only lasted for so long. Five hours later, Lucy's head nodded for the twenty-eighth time in the last hour. It was 3am but Lucy felt as though decades has passed.

"Ahh, damnit...I should have brought a book along! Soooo boring," Lucy whined in the darkness and wallowed in self-pity. "Hey, Plue. Plue!" The stellar spirit had been summoned about two hours ago to keep Lucy company, but the poor thing had fallen asleep after half an hour leaving Lucy to look at her fingernails.

Now that Lucy felt he had had enough sleep, she prodded him none too gently. "Wake up, _Plue_!"

The stellar spirit cracked open a bleary eye. "Puunn..."

"Hey, why don't you be on watch while I take a nap?"

"Puunnn!"

"Whaddya mean it's my responsibility?!"

"Puunn! Puunn!"

"Well, I don't care what you think."

"Puunn!"

"..."

Lucy paused before letting out a great sigh and threw her hands up in the air feeling ridiculous. "Oh perfect, I'm going insane! Freakin' talking to myself." She had enough of pretending to speak Plue's language since it was obvious she couldn't understand a word it was saying. Filling in Plue's thoughts was rather a short-lived game that provided little entertainment.

"PUUNNN!! PUNNN!!"

"Plue, I'm tired. You can go back now. I'm sorry I called you so late- I won't do it again."

But Plue continued crying and running about. Finally, he grabbed Lucy's elbow and pointed to the dark ceiling. As Lucy slowly looked up, she saw something dart past the beam of moonlight shining through the glass rooftop. A second later, Lucy sprang out of her seat, narrowly dodging a marble knife.

"What the hell?! Plue go back! Now!"

"Puunn..." The stellar spirit was clearly reluctant to leave his master all alone against an unidentified antagonist who, from the looks of it, was pretty skilled with sharp projectiles. Lucy pulled out Plue's key and issued a forced dismissal. The stellar spirit disappeared safely in a puff of smoke.

Lucy reached for her whip but immediately drew her hand back missing a well-aimed knife. Except for Lucy's steady breathing, the museum was silent; she strained her ears to pick up any sound.

The concentration paid off as she heard the whistling of several knives come her way. Lucy ducked behind a wall just as she heard the knives hit the floor where she had stood.

"You're pretty decent at dodging. Now that you've scurried away from me, you'd better run along altogether, missy."

Hearing the voice, Lucy's courage plucked up a bit. It was a man's voice and a very snooty one at that.

"No can do," Lucy called back into the darkness. "It's my job to guard the museum tonight. I need the money so I'm staying. Why don't _you _leave?"

"Cheeky one, aren't you?"

"Better cheeky than stupid."

"What?! You little-!"

Lucy used this opportunity to dash back out into the open. She had to get the thief to reveal himself; otherwise, she'd have no chance of defeating him. In an instant, a shower of knives fell from above and Lucy ran as hard as she could. Making her way across the linoleum floor, she could feel a knife graze her cheek, cutting off several strands of hair.

Lucy grabbed her whip and aimed blindly, hoping she'd reach her mark. Suddenly, she felt pain sear across her shoulder making her stumble. The metallic smell of blood soon filled the air.

"Gotcha!" The man cried from above as he saw the girl get down on one knee clutching her injured shoulder. But just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow, the entire hall was illuminated with bright lights. Momentarily blinded, the man dropped his weapon, lost his footing, and fell from his perch on top of a pillar. He crashed with a resounding thud.

"Got _you_." Lucy smirked and congratulated herself for hitting the light switch with her whip. She was also equally pleased with her attempt at throwing around witty verbal insults during battle. As the man staggered to his feet however, she let out a gasp. "I know you! You're Arikus Thimble! The famous, wealthy collector! What in the world do you think you're doing?"

The man let out a huff. "You're one stupid girl aren't you? Look at me. I'm dressed in black and I just tried to take your life. Isn't it obvious that I'm robbing the museum?"

Lucy took offense at the man's bluntness but then conceded that she had indeed asked a rather dumb question. "But you're a benefactor here. You help promote the museum's exhibits all the time!"

"And that's where my genius lies," the man nodded in agreement with himself. "To take advantage of the curator and staff here, you must get them to trust you first, don't you agree?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the despicable crook. "What are you after?"

"If you must know, little girl, I'm after the most prized item on exhibit here at the moment!" The thief held out both arms as if the grand gesture would do justice to the important artifact. "I'm going to steal Villa Frank's original manuscript of the famous novel, _White Eden Affair_! It's going to be moved tom-"

"_OH. MY. GOD._"

Arikus Thimble had to stop in the middle of foolishly revealing his master plan because Lucy had spoke with such urgency and shock in her voice.

"You are telling me," Lucy breathed. "That Villa Frank's original copy of_ White Eden Affair_ is here. Right now. In this museum. This Raninbourg Museum?!"

Arikus Thimble resolutely decided that this shrill little twit of a teenage girl was, indeed, a stupid one. "How can you not know what this museum holds? What kind of a guard are you?"

"The kind that is Mr. Villa Frank's biggest fan!" Lucy squealed excitedly. "I mean, he's my absolute favorite author of all time. Even Kemu Zaleon is second to him!" Arikus Thimble watched the girl and pulled out her whip. "See? Do you see this? I had a quote from his novel, _White Eden Affair_, stitched right on the handle! Can you read it? It's kinda long but it's so beautiful. It says: Wherefore love and purity reign in freedom and harmony, our world shall forever more exist in- HEY!"

Arikus Thimble had taken off during Lucy's long winded idolizing spiel. Lucy raced after him, cursing her lack of focus as the thief got increasingly further ahead of her.

"I don't care about the story itself, little girl!" Arikus Thimble yelled, his voice echoing throughout the museum. "All I'm interested in is the actual manuscript itself! Hahaha!"

"_What?!_" Lucy couldn't quite understand what he said. Perhaps the echos blurred his words together so she didn't catch it properly. What did he mean by not caring about the story?

"I'm a collector of originals! It is Villa Frank's first copy and _that _is why I want it. Who cares about a silly love story?!"

Lucy almost tripped over her own two feet. That villain! How dare he utter such blasphemous words about _White Eden Affair _in her presence?! He'll pay dearly for that!

Instead of trailing behind the thief, Lucy ran to the control room and activated every single trap in the museum save for one...

* * *

Arikus Thimble burst through the doors of a dingy old pub and marched up to the bar. He irritably ordered a drink and sat down next to a person who looked over at him and smiled.

"Rough night?"

"You wouldn't believe it!" The collector didn't need much prodding for him to launch into his story. "Alright buddy, between you and me, okay?"

"You got it. I'm always in for a good show."

"Well, get this," the collector lowered his voice and leaned in to whisper his ordeal. "I was trying to get my hands on Villa Frank's _White Eden Affair_ at the Raninbourg Museum."

"No kiddin'."

"You betcha." The thief drained his liquor and hollered for another one. "Thing is, I didn't get it."

"That's too bad."

"What's worse, I got done in by a little girl!"

"What happened?"

"Well, I had finally gotten my hands on the manuscript and stuffed it in my knapsack. I was about to make my getaway when all of the traps sprung on me! Every entrance was blocked! Even the roof was inaccessible. I couldn't do a thing to get around them."

"Then what'd you do?"

"I checked every possible exit until there was only one left. And guess who was there waiting in the dark hallway?"

"The girl?"

"Yes! I can't believe it. She had me! But I wasn't about to give up without a fight. I was sure I could take her with my knives. I'd already nicked her on the shoulder."

"Oh?"

"She was a child. She didn't stand a chance. I would have gotten her too if I hadn't fallen for that ridiculous bargain she threw at me."

"What was it?"

"She said she was a stellar spirit mage! What really got me was when she held up her collection of golden ecliptic zodiac keys. Do you know how rare they are? There are only twelve of those keys in the entire world! What I wouldn't give for one of them to be in my collection- but six! She had _six _golden keys! Then she bargained with me. The six keys for the manuscript."

"That doesn't sound like such a good deal for her."

"That's what I thought! But then again she was one of those crazy Villa Frank fangirls so I figured she'd value the manuscript more than her keys. When I got them, I thought this was my chance to double cross her. I tried calling out Leo, the Lion."

"Did he come?"

"Sure did. But he was already there with us! The girl had called him out before I'd come. Bastard was on the ceiling. He lit up the entire hallway with a light so blinding, my retinas are still burnin' up. Anyway," the man paused and took a huge draught at this point to relieve his depression. "The girl flashed out her whip- _whish!_ Next thing I knew, she had the manuscript _and _the keys. Little tart."

"I guess she's pretty smart then."

"Aw, shaddup." Arikus Thimble drained his glass. He was in no mood to humor this guy after the night's loss. "Whose side are you on?"

Here, the stranger smiled more widely than ever revealing sharp canines. "Her side, actually."

"_What?!_"

The collector jumped off his stool and backed away from the stranger whose the devilish grin looked more and more menacing with each passing second.

"It _was _a good show you put on, thief."

"Now-now, wait a minute. What do you want?" He backed into a table as the stranger advanced and cracked his knuckles. Was the collector imagining it or did he see sparks flying from the guy's hands. "Y-you and I have no business together!"

The stranger stopped smiling and suddenly, his right fist burst into flame. "I _do _have business with you." He shot out a grabbed Arikus Thimble by his shirt lifting him up entirely off the floor. Even drunken customers felt the dangerous aura of the man who could produce fire and rushed out of the pub as fast as they could.

"You and I have business that needs to be settled now."

"W-w-what is it? I didn'-"

The stranger had come eye to eye with him. "You hurt her."

"N-no! No! I only said that as part of the stor-"

"Liar." Arikus Thimble felt cold sweat drip down his face as the heat pulsating through the air between them grew hotter by the second. "I smell her blood on you."

"No, it's- it's not!"

"Yes, it is. We'll settle this score now."

That night, Arikus Thimble would have gladly given up his entire prized collection of valuables to have been spared the pummeling he'd justly received.

* * *

A/N: I miss my weekly dose of Fairy Tail :(

With four jobs down and one to go, Lucy is on a roll. She's even ahead of schedule! Now with the last request at hand, can Lucy complete her mission and get the 70,000 jewels needed to escape the eviction? Natsu seems to think that Lucy is fine by herself so will he continue to watch from afar? Find out in chapter seven: Pretty Incognito part 1.


	8. Pretty Incognito part 1

Chapter Eight: Pretty Incognito part 1

* * *

It was a dream come true.

Lucy stretched out her arms and fell back. Instead of landing on the cold hard floor, she sank into a warm, sun-bathed carpet strewn with delicate flowers.

"Aaahhh..."

The fragrance of the flowers filtered through Lucy's apartment and several of the pink petals caught in her hair. It was rather romantic.

Lucy's imagination (currently in overdrive mode) thought that she was indeed a royal princess lying in a meadow of gorgeous flowers not far away from the white castle of Fairy Tale Land.

That sounded so much better than her current sobering situation: Lucy Heartphilia, "princess of the penniless," one of the many idiots of the mage guild, Fairy Tail.

A cloud overshadowed the sun causing her apartment to once again be gray and dull. Rudely yanked from her reverie, Lucy sat up again and brushed the flower petals out of her hair. She pulled down the magic reading glasses on the top of her head and once again began to speed-read the open book by her side.

"To adorn your table with the right amount of finesse in the spring, choose cherry blossom branches. Arrange them simply and sparingly, but pay attention to the angles. If the branches do not compliment each other, you might unwittingly set off terrible Feng Shui..."

Lucy crinkled her brows in concentration hoping to make some sense of the art of flower arranging. Unfortunately, the mystery of what good branch angling consisted of, was never solved for Lucy suddenly smelled her pie burning in the oven.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!"

The girl raced into the kitchen and threw on some oven mitts before yanking out the now black blueberry pie smoking from the oven.

"..."

Lucy blew a few stray strands of hair from her face before flopping down on a chair. The words "utter failure" might as well have been flashing in neon letters on the top of her head for all Lucy cared. Clearly, flower arranging and cooking, two of the many essential skills needed of a hostess, were not part of her repertoire.

The stellar spirit mage felt that, at this point, she should be crying but the tears just wouldn't come. Perhaps she was too tired. After all, she'd completed four missions in the same amount of days and barely had 40,000 jewels.

Lucy had three days left to complete this last job and to successfully earn the last 30,000 jewels. Otherwise, she'd be saying hello to the streets of Magnolia and shopping for a nice cardboard box to live in.

As Lucy sat at her table eyeing the tendrils of smoke ascending from the charred remnants of the pie, she suddenly pictured Natsu's face. Maybe it was due to fatigue, but soon, Lucy saw a miniature replica of her hotheaded teammate walking to and fro amidst the black plumes of the pie. Smoke-Natsu had that serious frown on his face and in Lucy's mind, he once again asked her the question of the week:

"Why are you so dead set on doing these jobs alone?"

Lucy glared at scowling smoky dragonslayer and retorted with a saucy question. "Why do you have pink hair?"

"My hair has nothing to do with this, you looney."

"Go away."

Lucy waved her hands through the smoke and went to open a window. As she looked outside at the rather empty streets below, she carefully mulled over Natsu's question. Through these missions, she'd slightly lost track of why she wanted to be independent in the first place.

Oh, right. Independence. Recognition. Capability. Pride. That stuff rings a bell.

Truthfully, Lucy missed going out on big adventures with the old gang and getting paid huge amounts of money after just one job. Sure she put her life on the line, but it was thrilling and she trusted her teammates to look out for her. She missed watching Erza beautifully taking down her enemies, Happy's constant munching on fish and perhaps even Gray's bizarre habit of stripping.

She even missed Natsu's obnoxious loud tantrums and mischievous pranks.

But what Lucy didn't realize at the time, was that she missed him most of all.

* * *

"Hi. I'm Lucy from the mage guild Fairy Tail. I'm here answering your advertisement about being a hostess?"

"Well, don't look so despondent, Lucy! This will be an enjoyable job!" When Lucy's countenance didn't change, the client added, "Fun job! F-U-N, fun!"

Normally, Lucy would have given the man a dirty look for treating her like a four-year-old in need of a spelling lesson, but she didn't feel up to it.

And despite the fact that she currently stood on the doorstep of a huge, white mansion and talking to it's young and handsome owner, Lucy just couldn't bring herself to be peppy about it.

"My name is Darius Gene and it's a pleasure to meet you. Now, may I ask a question, Lucy?" The young man asked as he eyed the girl. "Why, in the name of all that's good in this world, are you wearing a maid outfit and such a horrendously outdated one at that?"

"I thought it'd fit the role," Lucy shrugged. "You know, maid serving tea...hostess serving tea. It's all the same in my mind."

Her explanation only made the man more confused. "...Alright then, I will have to dispel those thoughts immediately. As a hostess, you will not be serving tea. Oh no, far from that." He ushered her into the mansion and up a ridiculously elaborate spiral staircase.

Lucy, of course, was not particularly impressed by the house having come from the extravagant Heartphilia Mansion herself. Darius Gene's hopes of her being delighted and excited by the luxury of his home were quickly dashed away. "In you go, Lucy." He pushed her into a gorgeous room with huge French windows leading out onto a balcony.

Seeing the view beyond the balcony made Lucy's spirits perk up a bit. The mansion had been built next to the ocean and as far as the eye could see, a brilliant blue canvas glittered underneath the sun's rays. In a word, it was breathtaking.

"Now then, please put that on."

Lucy tore her eyes away from the beautiful view and followed to where the young man had pointed. An ornate ball gown was set on a bust mannequin with its many folds of fabric draping down to the floor. Lucy looked at the gown, down to her maid's outfit, and back to the man.

"Really? That's what you want me to wear as a hostess?"

"Simply divine, isn't it?"

Nevermind the fact that the man didn't answer her question, Lucy's indifference toward him slowly turned into dislike. Although she'd been absent from the company of high society for almost a year, Lucy never forgot the proper etiquette that came along with living in the upper class. She knew something about how a man of wealth should behave and this Darius Gene acted nothing like how a young millionaire should act, despite his proficiency with appropriate language. For starters, she thought he was being a bit too chummy with a hiree.

But Lucy was willing to overlook this detail for the fact that he was a millionaire and would not think much of 30,000 jewels while she, on the other hand, desperately needed them. It was kind of a no-brainer situation.

"Okay, I'll give it a try," Lucy said and unlaced the corset of the ballgown. "Uh...Do you mind?"

"Of course. My apologies, Lucy. I will be back to check up on you in an hour." The man slipped out of the room and closed the door. As soon as he stepped out, Lucy ran to door and quickly bolted it.

"Pervert."

Even though Lucy had made it through four jobs with minimal assistance from her stellar spirits, she felt that if she needed them, she wouldn't let pride stop her from summoning them on this last one.

* * *

"Well, you are quite a lovely sight to behold!"

Lucy suppressed a grimace as Darius Gene walked about and admired her in the ballgown as if she'd been a slab of meat on sale at the market. Although the young man might have been somewhat of a fake, Lucy concluded that the gown was most definitely not. The ivory satin cascaded around her and was stitched with meticulous detail around the front and back. Trimmings of pink and green surrounded the dress and finally ended in a complicated bow in the back.

"You're no stranger to these dresses then, having managed with no assistance," Darius Gene noted as he surveyed the knots in the back of Lucy's corset. He also saw the elegant twist in Lucy's hair but kept the comment to himself after seeing the annoyed look on Lucy's face.

"Once you've tried on a dress, you've tried them all on," Lucy said dismissively. "Now, can you fill me in on what I'm supposed to do here?"

Darius Gene nodded and motioned Lucy to a window that overlooked the main entrance. It was evening by now and the lamps outside had been lit. There was a roundabout in the front driveway where Lucy could see several fancy cars pulling up. Lucy didn't overlook the fact that besides Darius Gene and herself, there was not a soul in the mansion- not even valets.

"You're to entertain our guests tonight."

"Entertain how?" Lucy asked as her suspicion started to heighten as more and more cars pulled up with only men stepping out of their vehicles.

"Please, don't misunderstand," Darius Gene said quickly sensing Lucy's doubts. "You're just to talk to them. Serve them..._tea_, if you must."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Good," Lucy picked up the skirt of her dress and walked downstairs with perfect graceful balance in her high heeled shoes. "I _have _had practice serving tea. Along with baking pies and arranging flowers!"

As she reached the double doors of the main hall, she prepared herself to greet the guests with all of the charms of the lady she used to be.

With her right hand, she opened the door. With her left, she patted the ring of ecliptic zodiac keys securely fastened by the garter on her left thigh.

"Welcome, gentlemen."

* * *

A/N: A Fairy Tail anime trailer is out!!! It's only about 15 seconds, but I enjoyed every bit of it- especially since it was Natsu and Lucy ;)

Go check it out if you haven't!

Lucy's final job has at last come into play and the last 30,000 jewels are at stake. Our stellar spirit mage is ready to take on any challenge but this job seems a bit mysterious. Who is her client and what does he have in store for Lucy? Will she be able to figure out his plans and collect her reward in time? Stay tuned for chapter eight: Pretty Incognito part 2.


	9. Pretty Incognito part 2

Chapter Nine: Pretty Incognito part 2

* * *

Handsome, so-so, cute, so-so, so-so, hot, so-so, so-so, cute, _ugly_!

"Isn't that hilarious, Lucy? Imagine, the social context is not even applicable to the Acalypha conglomerate of two decades ago, and he dares to suggest Remoter's theory on economic windfall? What an absolute buffoon!"

Lucy nodded along only vaguely aware of what the man had said.

This lack of expression wasn't because Lucy didn't understand what the topic was about; she was just busy scoping out the room as would any teenage girl when surrounded by members of the opposite sex. Being bored out of her mind was also a factor that contributed to her rather shallow tallying of points based on physical attractiveness.

"Ooh, _so _hot."

"Beg your pardon, Lucy?"

"Oh, I'm feeling a bit feverish is all," Lucy quickly recovered while fanning herself to exaggerate her delicate health. "Would you mind if I stepped outside for a moment?"

"Of course! Allow me to assist you!" several men said in unison as they stood up and chivalrously offered their arm. But Lucy had already disengaged herself from the gaggle of men and headed upstairs. Once inside her room, Lucy closed the door and walked outside to the balcony, breathing in the refreshing night air.

Being the only girl in a room full of testosterone was not as ideal a picture as you would imagine. Lucy felt incredibly uncomfortable among those carnivorous stares and faking light conversation with egotistical rich men. It was hard work and, in Lucy's opinion, worth much more than just 30,000 jewels. She'd rather face another three story dog instead of returning to that stuffy room full of idiots...even though that one guy she saw was devastatingly handsome.

"Lucy, I don't remember telling you to take a break."

The girl would have suffered from whiplash had she turned around any farther, but she'd only managed to turn her head a little ways before finding Darius Gene standing next to her. The look on his face did not bode well. Nor did it resemble the fluke of a man earlier that day.

"Sorry, I just needed a little fresh air."

"I think you've been here long enough. It's time to go back. We mustn't keep our guests waiting." Darius held out his arm.

"_Your _guests," Lucy snapped as she stalked past him.

Forget the fact that this mansion had no workers, the fact that she was the only girl entertaining a bunch of men, and Darius Gene's previous lack of social etiquette. It was obvious now that he wasn't just your average millionaire and no matter how many jewels Lucy needed, she would not willingly take his arm.

* * *

Once downstairs, Lucy mingled about again and acted gaily as ever, charming her guests with witty anecdotes and quoting famous philosophers. Inwardly, she thanked her teachers for educating her not only in the ways of the social and political world but, more importantly, for teaching her stellar spirit magic. Little did any of these men know that she had an army of other worldly spirits waiting for her signal to beat them and their fancy suits into tomorrow should she only choose.

Wherever Lucy went, the life of the party went with her. Intellectual conversations and civil disagreements hung about Lucy as she made her way through the rooms. No matter where she was, however, her mage instincts couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched by someone with different intentions than those of these lusting men.

Feeling that she should at least get some privacy in the bathroom, Lucy skillfully danced her way from one group of men to another until she was next to one. Seeing that it was vacant, Lucy slipped inside and locked the door. It was the first time ever in her life that she'd run that fast into a room with a toilet seat and considered it a haven.

"Hi."

Lucy almost suffered another bout of whiplash for the second time that night. She turned around and saw a man smile at her way down the other side of the bathroom. His one word greeting echoed across the three sinks and fifteen foot wide mirror. To be fair, Lucy hadn't realize there had been anybody else in this particular loo because (you've got to hand it to millionaires), it was pretty darn huge.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize this room was taken."

"No worries. I'm about done here anyway." The man made his way toward her or, if you'd rather, the door. As he neared, Lucy's embarrassment only grew.

Besides the fact that Lucy was with an unfamiliar good-looking man in the bathroom (possibly the most unromantic setting ever), she realized that he was the very same Mr. So Hot she'd noticed earlier. Lucy wanted to look down at the floor to relieve some of the awkwardness but found that she couldn't. Why? Her eyeballs were stubbornly glued to the advancing man who practically oozed of sexiness.

If you're in need of a description with the plain facts minus Lucy's over zealous details, please read on:

He was a man around his early twenties. A brunette with blue eyes. About a head taller than Lucy (even with her three-inch heels on), and rather lean.

Spice it up, if you care to.

"Was there something...," the man started as he came closer to Lucy and noticed her unflinching stare.

"N-no! I was...uh, just...using the bathroom," Lucy managed intelligently.

"Okay."

Lucy inwardly cursed. What happened to the sophisticated, cultured lady of a few moments ago? And what was this stuttering girl doing in her place saying the most obvious things such as: going to the bathroom to use the bathroom?

"Actually, I was just in need of a room to rest. Please, take your time," Lucy offered graciously, hoping that the man would overlook the fact that she'd just told him to take his time doing who-knew-what in the john.

"Don't worry about it," Lucy went rigid as he clapped a friendly hand on her shoulder. "It's all yours." With that, Lucy's suave Mr. So Hot went out the door and left her all alone in the bathroom.

It was as if Cupid's arrow had struck Lucy's heart and she wondered if love at first sight was more than just your storybook myth.

* * *

"Lucy, there you are," Darius Gene called when Lucy finally pulled herself together enough to regain hand and foot coordination to get out of the bathroom. He motioned for her to come greet yet another guest who, much to Lucy's disappointment, was not Mr. So Hot of the Bathroom. "I want you to meet Arion Levior, he's the son of our family's greatest business partner."

Lucy, currently on cloud nine, managed an acceptable greeting to Arion Levior before she fell back down to earth. "_Our _family?"

"Yes, my dear little Lucy."

In contrast to the heartwarming effect the sweet voice of Darius Gene had to all who heard him address his precious sister, Lucy broke out in a cold sweat as she looked into the cold eyes of her client.

"She's such an innocent girl that she's forgotten already, Arion," Darius Gene laughed as he placed a hand on Lucy's waist.

"Yes, she is very sweet." Arion Levior said, oblivious to the tension between his friend and alleged sister.

No one saw that hidden beneath the folds of her dress, the host held a small dagger against his little sister's back.

"Y-Yes, I'm afraid my big brother has a much better memory than I do."

"Ah, but he will never be more charming."

"You always know what to say, Arion. So shall we three have a little chat?" Darius laughed amiably. "I have a room waiting upstairs for us."

"I shall be delighted."

As the two men escorted Lucy up the spiral staircase, she thought of her options. What could she do? The threat of the dagger was still hanging and Darius' skill was unknown. He could be an assassin or even a mage.

Lucy couldn't help feeling the panic rise within her and risked a glance back to any of the guests. She thought about calling for help. Perhaps there was a one in a million chance that one of them was a sniper and would shoot the damn Darius Gene in less than the amount of time required for him to literally stab her in the back.

Suddenly, she locked eyes with the same man she'd met earlier in the bathroom. Even though they had only spoken for a few seconds, she felt that if any one there could help her, it was him. Lucy gave him one frightened look and prayed he'd understand her situation.

There!

Lucy's prayers were answered! He was going to save her! He was headed towards them! He was going to heroically punch Darius Gene in the back of the head for taking advantage of a defenseless girl!

So it was a slow five seconds indeed when Lucy realized that Mr. So Hot had, apparently, not understood her desperate look.

He had headed to the snack table.

He had picked up a plate.

He now had three pieces of Gouda cheese on his plate and was reaching for a chicken drumstick.

Whoever said that 'eyes were the window to the soul' was obviously lying.

Lucy felt like crying and yelling all at once. She'd much rather break free of her captor at the moment and go throttle Mr. So Hot for being such a brainless dolt.

Fortunately, she was in better control of her instincts and decided she'd keep cool. Lucy would have to see through this mess herself. She swiftly turned to face forward, determined not to let 'love at first sight' ever deter her from her senses ever again.

"So, Mr. Levior. I have only heard of such wonderful things about your family from my brother. Please, tell me a little about yourself."

It was clear that Darius Gene had some sort of plan with her and this Arion Levior in mind so for the time being, it was time to play along.

* * *

A/N: Alright, alright, this is an extremely predictable romance/humor story. Haha, I'm not up to writing smart mystery thrillers! On another note, countdown to the Fairy Tail anime, guys! :D

This looks like a worse case scenario for our Lucy. She's in quite the predicament with this last mission. How will she break free of the overhanging threat of the dangerous client? Can she succeed by using her knowledge and wit, or will she have to resort to her womanly charms? Find out in the conclusion of Lucy's last mission: Pretty Incognito part 3!


	10. Pretty Incognito part 3

Chapter Nine: Pretty Incognito part 3

* * *

Lucy had never felt more apprehensive hearing a pair of doors close than when Darius Gene shut the double oak doors to the drawing room.

Even worse, his dagger was still pressed upon her back. Without his help.

Whoever this Darius Gene was, it was now all too clear that he was indeed a mage.

Lucy wished that she had put her ring of keys somewhere more accessible than in her garter. Perhaps a better place would have been in her bra. Yes, definitely less fuss to stick your hand down your front than to reach for something way up on your thigh. Lucy made a note-to-self-if-I-survive-this and settled down on the couch across from their guest: Arion Levior. Darius Gene sat next to Lucy who, in turn, scooted as far away as she could.

The dagger dug in a bit deeper and Lucy felt the satin tear.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Are you afraid of your big brother?" Arion Levior laughed amiably.

Lucy winced as the dagger now pinched against her skin.

"Not at all, Mr. Levior. I'm just a little upset because he hasn't introduced us to each other before tonight. He's been keeping you all to himself."

"Well, allow me to assure you, I will be back very often to visit the both of you and please, call me Arion." Lucy turned a cringe into a bashful smile as Arion winked flirtatiously at her.

"So, Arion, about the merger deal we were talking about the other day..."

Lucy instinctively tuned the two men out and began to think of a way out of the drawing room. The doors were closed and she didn't think she could make it out in time with Darius Gene there and his mage skills. She could whip out some stellar spirit action but would that be in time? And how about that oblivious idiot, Arion Levior? What if he got hurt in the process?

"It's a deal then!" Lucy refocused her attention back to the conversation at hand only to see Darius Gene stand up, shake hands with his guest, and head towards the door. Perfect! The meeting was over and they were going to head back downstairs. She could definitely make a getaway there. Screw the last 40,000 jewels. Living in a cardboard box didn't sound all that terrible anymore.

Lucy picked up the folds of her dress and traipsed along after her pseudo-older brother, feigning a smile all the way until he abruptly stopped and turned around. "Oh no, Lucy. You're going to stay here."

"Wha?"

"Yes, Lucy," Arion Levior was suddenly by her side and took a hold of her wrist. "I want to hear a little bit more about you."

"You wanna do what now?" Lucy looked frantically back to Darius Gene who nodded graciously to his guest and promptly shut the door in the girl's face. "Ouch!" The dagger had definitely nicked her skin that time. She couldn't tell if the cut had drawn blood or if she was just bathing in sweat at this point.

Arion Levior drew Lucy back to the couch and forcefully pulled her down. She fell awkwardly onto his lap in a heap of fabric. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Lucy yelled, aware that her lady-like image was completely ruined.

"Don't be like that, sweetie," Arion Levior cooed as he held her around the waist. "Your brother has sold you, his dear sister, to complete our business transaction."

"What? When?!"

"When you were obviously not paying attention, dearest."

Lucy was about to retort with a few choice words but immediately bit her tongue. The dagger once again added pressure as if it had a mind of its own and was aware of her actions. Now she was positive that the cut was deep enough to draw blood.

"Oh, you poor thing," Arion Levior cupped Lucy's chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Let's take that nasty thing away, shall we?" Before Lucy could even register what he said let alone bite his hand, the man waved his finger and drew the dagger away from her back into the air. It easily sailed into his hand.

Lucy was flabbergasted as she watched Arion Levior twirled the dagger in his hand like an expert before letting it fly across the room where it hit a mirror and shattered it to pieces.

"Wha-How-You-?"

"So charming, Lucy. You always have a way with words."

"Are _all _of you mages then?" Lucy asked, stunned that there could be two mages in the same room with her and escaped her notice.

"Oh, no. No indeed. Some of them are just your regular old folks. Darius doesn't even know that I'm a mage even though I know_ he's_ one. In fact," Arion Levior caught hold of Lucy's hand and brought it to his lips. "He's not even the real Darius Gene. That fool is dead."

"He's an impostor..." Lucy muttered as she put two and two together. It all made sense now. Why the mansion was empty, why he seemed so fishy, why the men down at the party were just interested in her and never spoke about meeting Darius before. It was a major flaw Lucy had witnessed before in high society. They were only attracted to the prestigious name. Proof was that they never suspected Lucy's own fake identity when Darius Gene had declared that she was his sister.

"Spot on." His hand found her ankle and slowly made its way up her leg. The layers of satin fell away like water against her skin and Lucy froze, her eyes locked onto Arion Levior's.

"If you know Darius is an impostor than you must know that I am not his little sister."

"Of course."

"Then...THE DEAL IS OFF!" Lucy quickly shot out her hand and grabbed for the ring of keys held by the garter on her exposed leg. She elbowed Arion Levior in the nose and leapt off the couch in a flurry of ivory satin.

Wiping the blood of his nose, Arion Levior slowly stood up and stared her down. Lucy didn't like the pissed off look on his face. "The deal was never on, Lucy Heartphilia."

"How did you-?"

"Oh, I know all about you, Lucy," Arion Levior breathed as he advanced. Lucy took a step back and saw him reach for something inside his jacket. "I've heard of your escapades with your guildmates! You're the stellar spirit mage of Fairy Tail!" He pulled out the latest edition of Sorcerer Magazine and slammed it down on the table dividing them.

Unfortunately, Lucy was unimpressed with this dramatic gesture. "And here I thought you were really dangerous and smart having figured all of this out on your own! Really, you're just a pervert memorizing my pretty face on the cover of a magazine," She couldn't help but laugh a bit at the reddening man. "That's pretty lame."

He raised his hand to strike but Lucy was ready. She took hold of a golden key and pointed it in the air.

"Open, the door to the-!!!"

Arion Levior smiled as he saw Lucy's eyes widened. She lowered her keys and clutched at her throat, unable to utter a sound.

"What's wrong, princess?" the man called mockingly as Lucy began to sputter for air. "Can't complete your incantation to bring out your spirit?" A bruise began to appear around Lucy's neck in the shape of fingerprints. Her keys dropped from her hands and clattered to the floor uselessly.

"That's my magic, girl. Astral projection. My spirit, while maintaining connection with my body, leaves me and attacks my opponents with a mere mimicking of my own body." He raised his arm and Lucy simultaneously lifted off the floor as if on strings.

Lucy's lungs were on fire and the pressure around her neck was so strong, she felt as if the man's hands were made of iron. She could literally feel the fingers smothering her pulse with every second. Soon, the room began to swim before her eyes due to a lack of oxygen and tears.

Lucy bent her head and saw her beloved keys lying by her feet and felt an immense sadness. To her, they were more than just magic, they were her friends and a precious realization of a dream told to her by her mother so long ago...

_"I'm sorry..."_

"HEY, STOP!!" A voice rang through Lucy's ears followed by an immense bang as the doors blew open, scattering shards of wood everywhere. There was a commotion downstairs and now it had reached the drawing room.

The pressure around Lucy's neck had slackened only for a moment but instantly regained its grip and even worse, it increased three fold. There were angry, muffled voices and two figures before her unfocused eyes. Lucy thought she saw a pair of familiar blue eyes before she felt a scorching heat fill the room.

_"Natsu?! Wait, who has those blue eyes...?"_

Lucy desperately tried to make out who was in the room with her but suddenly felt herself lifted higher into the air. She was released from the grip around her neck with such a force that it threw her against the locked French window. The impact shattered the panes and Lucy opened her eyes to see herself enveloped in the dark sky outside and glittering shards of glass.

"LUCY!!!"

Then, she knew nothing more.

---

_I heard his voice! I'm sure he's here!_

"NAAAAATTSSSSUUUUUU!!!!"

"What the hell're you yellin' for?! I'm right here!"

"Ehhh??"

"Come on! Look alive, Lucy! The show's about to start."

Lucy looked about her and saw that she was no longer in the regal dress but in her usual miniskirt and tanktop. Her hair had the usual side ponytail with the blue ribbon in it. Everything was a la normal. Natsu, too, was next to her, eating a flaming sausage on a fork.

Strange thing is, they both sat in chairs facing a blank lacriyma crystal screen. Nothing else was visible. Apparently, this was not normal at all.

"Natsu?"

The dragonslayer groaned and threw away his half-eaten sausage which promptly disappeared once it left his hand. He turned to Lucy and glowered. "What is it? You keep saying my name but you don't follow it up! Spit it out, Luce!"

"Whe-where are we?" Lucy managed to ask while looking all around.

"We're in your head," Natsu said in an exasperated tone as if it was obvious. "Didn't think you were clueless about your own mind."

"My min-!" Natsu had clamped a hand over Lucy's mouth, effectively silencing her as the crystal's screen started flickering.

"SHHHHHH!! It's starting!" He hissed and sat back in his seat. He waved his hand and this time, a bottle of firewhiskey appeared.

Lucy almost started to talk again as soon as the first pictures appeared. It seemed to be a show about her battles at Fairy Tail.

"Psssh, Lucy. That's a girlie elbow drop," Natsu teased as the scene flashed through Lucy's battle with Cherie on the cursed island. "Well, I guess it did the job and that's all that matters."

"Whoa, you took on Lluvia? Nice move!" Natsu said in awe as he saw the girls duke it out in water at the Tower of Paradise. "Hey, why is it that your clothes always comes off, Lucy?"

The question was responded with a well deserved smack on the head. Natsu glared at the girl but was soon distracted by yet other scenes of Lucy's battles in Fairy Tail.

As the lacriyma crystal finally stopped playing, Lucy turned over to her teammate who'd been rather silent after she'd given him a good wallop. "What is this, Natsu? Why are we watching this?"

The fire mage looked over at her and smiled. He reached out a hand and firmly shook her shoulder.

"Because you are a mage of Fairy Tail."

---

"Well, that's a pretty obvious answer, don't you think?"

Lucy felt strange. How can she speak so articulately whilst sleeping. She suddenly sat up and immediately regretted doing so. Her head felt extremely heavy and was-was her hair wet?!

It was impossible. She was lying in her own bed back at her apartment. Lucy shook her head and gave herself a pat over to make sure she wasn't dreaming and that she was in one piece. Then, looking to her right, Lucy concluded that she must still be dreaming instead.

Asleep in an armchair near her bed, was the one and only Mr. So Hot. Lucy didn't think it was possible, but he looked even more hot, sleeping there with his suit all disheveled and soft brown hair falling over his face. It seemed like he was wet too judging by the beads of water slowly dripping off the tips of the strands of his hair. And did the cuff of his sleeves look they they were burnt?

Suddenly very self-conscious, Lucy looked down and saw herself in her pajamas. Her purple sheep pajamas were most definitely not her dress. Which meant that she had been stripped and redressed. By this guy???!!

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

Lucy's shriek might have woken up the entire neighborhood so you can imagine what the poor guy had to endure being so rudely woken from his slumber.

"WHAT THE HELL?!! WHAT IS IT, LUCY?!"

The man bolted out of his chair with arms raised to find the poor girl clutching her comforter around her like a protective shield.

"St-stay back!"

"What are you talking about, Lucy? What's wrong?"

"I said, STAY BACK!" Lucy yelled. "Stop acting like you know me!"

"But I _do _know you!"

Lucy glared at him before leaping out of her bed and beelined for the window. She yanked it open and yelled as loudly as she could, not caring if it was a distress call nor the fact that she was, indeed, very much a damsel: "NAAAAAAATTSSSSUUUUUU!!"

What she didn't expect, was his fast reply: "What?"

Lucy ever so slowly turned around. How is it even conceivable that he could be in her room?

"Natsu?"

"I swear. If you call me one more time..." The brown haired, blue eyed man sighed before sitting back down on the armchair.

"I-is that you?"

"Of course it is!" Mr. So Hot/Natsu snapped before catching his reflection in the mirror. "Ohhhh...my bad. Sorry to scare you, Luce." With a sudden hand movement and a puff of smoke, Natsu reappeared in Mr. So Hot's place, clad in his usual vest, stretchy balloon pants complete with worn out sandals and signature dragon scale scarf.

Lucy looked at him as though he'd grown another head.

"Oh my god!! Y-y-y-you-you w-w-were-were..."

"Yup."

"An-and you..."

"Probably."

"So you...saved me?"

"Yeah and yes to anything else you might say."

Lucy stood there, oogling at Natsu like a dead fish out of water. She was floored.

When she had regained her senses feeling relieved, ecstatic, grateful, annoyed and wonderful all at once, Lucy felt another head rush and sat back down on her bed gingerly. She also noticed several bandages around her abdomen as well as on her hands and face. She smiled at Natsu's rather sloppy attempt at first aid as she tightened a loose bandage around her wrist.

"So, are you saying yes to stripping me as well?"

"Yeah."

Lucy shot back up again, this time, her cheeks flaming hot. "_WHAT_?!"

Natsu only ran a hand through his rosy hair. "What's the big deal? Happy was here too. He picked out those," He indicated Lucy's purple pajamas. "I thought that was better," Natsu pointed to a scandalous one-piece bunny costume discarded on a hanger. "No buttons."

Lucy didn't know what to be thankful for: Happy's help in choosing appropriate clothing or Natsu's apparent immunity to the female body. She decided she was grateful for both.

"Listen, Lucy. I'm sorry," Natsu suddenly said. Lucy cocked her head to one side, bewildered.

"Why? You saved my life. I'm-"

"No, I know you wanted to do this alone but I didn't respect your wishes," Natsu admitted guiltily. "I don't know why I was being so stubborn."

Lucy didn't know what to say that so she settled for fidgeting with a thread on her comforter.

"You can definitely do missions on your own," Natsu concluded before adding, "Most of the time."

Lucy would have retorted but knew that she'd be dead at the moment if Natsu hadn't come to her rescue at the mansion. She finally raised her eyes and saw the dragonslayer yawn widely like a little boy. And even though in many ways, Natsu was still like a child, he was a strong, smart guy and one with a very good heart at that. He always had her back and was a very important person in her life.

"You know what, Natsu?" Lucy said as she came over to him and sat down on the arm rest. She put a hand on Natsu's shoulder, smiling. "I didn't have to do those missions alone. I'm not weak and I shouldn't have to prove it to anyone as long as I know it."

"Riiiight!" Natsu sprang up and faced her, smiling exuberantly. "That's what I've been saying! We all think so! You're awesome!"

"Because I'm a mage of Fairy Tail."

"Yeah, well," Natsu reached into his pocket and produced a ring of keys before throwing it to her. "That's pretty obvious, Lucy."

"Oh the irony."

"What?"

"Nothing, Natsu. It's nothing."

* * *

A/N: Obviously oblivious is what, Natsu.

The highlight of the first episode for me was...Happy's voice. It's so cute. I was always kind of indifferent/borderline annoyed with Happy in the manga but in the anime...he's precious. Oh yes, the scene where Natsu pulls Lucy along with him to Fairy Tail was also pretty awesome ;)

Lucy is finally finished with her five jobs. She has proven that she's capable on her own (for the most part) and can take on any challenge. But even more than that, she has come to realize that camaraderie and trust with her friends are what matters most. And Natsu? Well, he will always be an irreplaceable person in Lucy's heart.

Now only one matter remains...How will Lucy afford her rent?!

Find out in the epilogue: You, Me and Growing Up!


	11. You, Me and Growing Up

Epilogue: You, Me and Growing Up

* * *

"So _you're _the one who told Natsu to go in disguise like that, Mirajane?"

"Guilty as charged. It was the perfect plan, don't you think so, Lucy?"

The blonde reluctantly agreed and tried to hide the blush as she remembered that it was Natsu who was the man she had been very much attracted to at the party. She should have put two and two together when he'd chosen food over her. How could she also forget the fact that Mirajane had once taught her and Natsu to do transformation magic?

"I've gotta hand it to you, Mirajane. That guy was pretty hot."

"Who? Natsu?"

"No! I mean- yes! I mean, wait. No-" Lucy cried as she stumbled right into Mirajane's trap. The older girl smiled triumphantly and went to get Lucy another drink when, speak of the devil, Natsu showed up and sat down next to Lucy.

"Hey, guess what?!"

"Natsu, I'm not in the mood," Lucy sighed then called down to Mirajane that she didn't have enough money for a refill. "I'm about to be evicted tomorrow and I'm currently scoping the streets for a good corner to live in."

"That's the thing, Luce! Check it out!" Natsu unrolled a piece of paper in Lucy's face and pointed to the reward.

"Three-hundred thousand jewels?!" Lucy gasped as the zeroes beckoned at her from the page and smiled invitingly.

"Yup, the gang's headed out in a half hour. Let's go!"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Natsu leapt off his stool and linked his arm with hers, pulling her out of the guild. "Yeah, come on! None of us want you to be homeless."

Lucy smiled as she felt a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. The panic that has plagued her suddenly seemed to ebb away as she followed Natsu into the streets.

"Besides," Natsu started as he turned around to face her. "You'll never be homeless 'cause you've got me."

"Wh-what?"

"You could always live with me."

Lucy stopped walking and looked at her teammate. She tried to find the right words to say to him but couldn't find them as easily as she use to. "I..."

"You could live with me and Happy and be our maid! It'd be awesome if we didn't have to clean ever again!" Natsu energetically pumped a fist into the air before turning around and walking away.

Lucy's initial blush turned into a livid look as she repeated to herself: "70,000 jewels, 70,000 jewels, 70,000 jewels for dealing with this idiot."

The girl then went to her apartment to pack for the long awaited mission. Lucy eagerly threw clothes, toiletry, her journal and many pairs of shoes into her luggage thinking about the new adventure she would soon embark on with her dear friends. Oh, the cashing in on some much needed jewels was a super bonus.

Just like old times.

* * *

"Oh, how could I forget the glamorous life of trudging through the forest..." Lucy grumbled as she vigorously swiped at her hair trying to get rid of a spider web that wasn't there.

"Come on, Lucy. We're almost there. Just think of the 75,000 jewels you'll have once we clean this guy's clock." Gray said rationally and Lucy nodded thinking that she wouldn't have to live on the streets after all.

"I hope this guy puts up more of a fight than those pansies back at the mansion!" Natsu stated pridefully. Happy nodded his head and landed on Natsu's shouldering saying something about 'aye'.

"If they were such pushovers then why did you come back a dripping, burnt out mess?" Lucy asked mischievously, hoping to push the dragonslayer's buttons.

"Hey! It was the fancy suit that got in the way of my fire!" Natsu yelled defensively, his buttons having been effectively pushed. "Besides, when you flew out the window, there was nothing but water all around us. There was no getting around that!"

"You guys," The three mages and cat silenced themselves as Erza addressed them and pointed to the city below the hill. "We're here."

"Whoa....!!"

The city was beautiful. It had waterways all around it and plenty of foliage throughout the streets to keep the balance of nature and industrial progress in harmony.

"Well, like I said. Let's go clean this guy's clock."

"Aye!"

"I'm sure we'll be able to finish this off in five hours tops. Then I'll report our progress to the Master."

"Wow..."

As her teammates headed down the hill towards the city, Lucy lingered at the spot admiring the picture before her eyes. The city against a backdrop of blue sky and shining sun with clouds- the romantic novelist within her couldn't resist but drink in the sight.

But when Natsu took a hold of her side ponytail and gave it a gentle yank, the landscape melted right away in Lucy's mind. And strangely enough, she found that she wasn't mad as she should be.

"Come on, Lucy, let's go."

With a smile, the dragonslayer was off towards their next job.

With that same smile however, Lucy stood still.

The perfect day's breeze blew through the valley, uplifting everyone's spirits save for one.

She stood among the tall grassy blades whistling in the air, realizing, as she looked after her friend's figure below, that he was different to her.

The girl stood there watching him make his way toward the city and tried to figure out what was going on.

Did he change? Did he do something? Was he somehow affected by the last week during which he had secretly helped her on her missions?

...Or...could it be...

Could it possibly be that _she_ was the one who has changed?

Her feelings toward him were bordering along the lines of...something...like lo-

"Lucy! Don't make me come back up there!"

Following Natsu's voice, Lucy finally stepped forward and journeyed down the hill toward him and her next adventure.

* * *

_Dear Mom,_

_There's no need to worry about me. Everything's worked itself out and it's a whole new day. You know, I think I've gotten a new perspective on things. Is that a part of growing up? I see that regardless of what other people say, I'm my own person and it's pointless to worry about what others think. It's a rather refreshing thought and it makes me pretty happy._

_Thanks for looking out for me, Mom. I still miss you lots but I'm doing okay-better than okay! For now, you go on doing what you need to do and me too. I promise I'll keep you posted as always._

_Oh, and Mom? Just a final little thought...do people feel __love differently? Wait, that's a silly question. I'm just not sure what I'm feeling right now and I'm a little scared, but I know that there's definitely something on my mind and in my heart towards a... friend. Oh, I don't know. I'll save that story for another day, Mom. For now, please just wish me luck!_

_Love always,  
Lucy_

* * *

A/N: FIN!

If you haven't read the omake chapter where Mirajane teaches Natsu and Lucy transformation magic, check it out at i Naruto DOT net (no spaces and an actual period). It's hilarious.

Thanks to each and every one of you who has read/reviewed/enjoyed my first FT fic! It means a lot guys. This is kind of off to the side, but it's really awesome to see all of the different countries you all come from. FF DOT net is so advanced compared to four years ago.

Anyways, I'm starting the SEQUEL to "Growing Up" and chapter one should be up in the next few days if not today. So if you want more NatsuxLucy, go check it out! :)


	12. An Announcement and Male Models

A/N: Okay, since it's early in the week, I thought I'd brighten up your day with a shameless plug:

My new NatsuxLucy fic is up! Check it out and indulge in some FT goodness to soothe your early-in-the-week-woes.

* * *

"What the hell! This is stupid!"

"Come on, Natsu. Remember, just visualize his face and then release your magic!"

"I know I can do it! It's just that I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"This guy is a total pansy! I mean look at him!" Natsu cried and shoved the magazine into Mirajane's face. He tapped the page forcefully making a crinkle on the handsome model's face. In case you're wondering, it was indeed Mr. So Hot's body that Natsu was trying to copy. The fact that the model was sporting a speedo and lounging by the dramatic surfs was yet another turn-off for the fiery mage.

Mirajane feigned innocence as she took the magazine out of Natsu's hands. "I don't know what you're talking about, Natsu. This person looks like a man to me."

"Yeah, the pansy kind!" Natsu growled as he stomped about Fairy Tail's back kitchen. "Tell me again why I can't transform into _this_ guy?" He grabbed a magazine off the wooden counter and once again waved it about in front of Mirajane.

The girl sighed and shook her head. "I told you before, Natsu. If you transform into a meathead like that, you'll only stand out at the party and that's the last thing you'd want when going under cover."

Natsu crinkled his nose and brought the magazine up to scrutinize the picture of the massive body builder. "Well, I'm pretty sure Lucy would get mad if she found out it was me. I don't wanna give anything away…"

"That's right you need to look like a normal person-and before you say anything, being handsome is more normal than being a muscle bounded giant."

"Fine. Whatever." Natsu muttered unhappily as he wondered why any self-respecting man would ever wear skimpy underwear.

" And trust me," Mirajane smiled as she put the picture of Mr. So Hot back into Natsu's hands, "You need to get close to Lucy and with this disguise, I'm sure she'd warm up to you."

The dragonslayer quirked an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"Well, she _is_ a teenage girl."

"So?"

"So being good looking is a plus."

"A plus to what?"

Mirajane tried to be patient as she continued explaining the complexities of physical attraction to Natsu but it only lasted for so long.

"Let's just put it this way, Natsu. Some girls like certain types of boys, other girls like other types of boys and vice versa."

"Okay, okay…" Natsu waved his hands indicating his boredom before arranging them into the transformation seal. "Lucy likes pretty boys. I get it!"

"Yes! That's right!" Mirajane said happily before Natsu disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared as Mr. So Hot complete with wavy brown hair and extremely blue eyes.

Mirajane nodded in approval and went to get some clothing magazines in order to help Natsu visualize what proper high societal clothing was. "But just so you know, Natsu, Lucy's not just into looks."

"Eh?" The boy said absentmindedly as he ran a hand through his strange new hair.

"Lucy likes a nice, strong boy who cares for her too."

"Yeah she does."

Mirajane did a double take and saw a knowing look on the disguised dragonslayer's face. "Eh?"

"And you know what else she likes?"

"What, Natsu? What?" The girl asked hurriedly wanting to know if Natsu and Lucy were—

"She likes to get into the kind of trouble that makes me go through shit like this!" He yelled as he pointed to his new skinnier arms. "Look at this! This guy has no muscles whatsoever! My arms are like noodles! Weakling! I've turned into a weakling!"

Disappointment is somewhat of an understatement so I won't use it to describe poor Mirajane's reaction.


End file.
